The Town of Point Place
by twiniitowers
Summary: The towns folk take part in an annual spring ritual in Point Place. Loosely based on "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson. Set in the 40's. Please read and review. Thanks.
1. Preamble Saturday Walk to the Grocers

**This story is loosely based on Shirley Jackson's 1948 short story _The Lottery._**

**You can Google, "Shirley Jackson, Lottery", and read the story, in its entirety on**

**various websites for free. I was always intrigued by a story set in the modern era**

**that it was written in, yet the simple townsfolk seemed to cling to their spring time**

**tradition with their simple means and a belief in superstition versus what is**

**right vs. wrong. The story is set in the 40's, but the tiny town of**

**Point Place that accepts some forms of modern existence (like cars, grocery stores,**

**indoor plumbing, heat, for some), there is an acceptance of doing things just the way**

**"their great-grandfather's have done." Women have a certain independence,**

**they are able to drive for errands, those who work are Spinsters, who after age 23**

**are not allowed to be married, they can vote in Federal Elections (since 1920), but**

**cannot vote in local contests.**

**What characters like things just the way they are, who would change things if they**

**could, who know how to work the system, and who have petty rivalries with each**

**other, and are all not just a bit hypocritical?**

**And who is come to come out of this whole thing with no soul left?**

**The wardrobe is modern for the era, with Jackie being able to dress the most fancy**

**due to Hyde having the most wealth of the main characters. I pictured the old film**

**photos of a 1939 post _Wizard of Oz_ Judy Garland and Rita Hayworth for her hairstyle. **

**The girl next store who can be glamorous when the situation calls for it.**

**It was a challenge to write a semi-mainstream, position in authority, religious, Hyde, **

**(who still hates the federal government) but it was a fun challenge.**

**All men have short hair. There is also an**

**accepted racism in the air with Fez being the only non-Caucasian in town.**

**Economic classes don't mix socially except for Sunday church services, Harvest**

**Day, and other church sponsored activities. The exception are the Hyde and**

**Forman families due to being close since childhood. The dialogue (and some of the**

**text around it) is kept in a certain tone on purpose, repeating of phrases to show the**

**monotonous daily existence of these people who only seem to come alive during**

**Harvest Day, the only one who talks in what might be termed proper from a**

**grammatical perspective would be Jackie because of being sent to an all-girls**

**boarding school until she reached 13 years old when her parents took out so**

**she would be available to be married when she reached the age of 16,**

**the legal age to do so.**

**Based on their religious views, no one smiles in their pictures, including wedding**

**photos. There is a sadness to the salt-of-the-Earth characters that they rarely**

**smile period, except on Harvest Day. It is a common trait amongst the locals (sans**

**Laurie)**

**male and female, both, to purse their lips after some of their conversations, as if they**

**all want to ask for help, but are afraid of the unknown to do so, except for "the**

**oddball", Bachelor Michael, who is more jubilant than most, while he takes part in**

**the events, does not obsess over Harvest Day like the rest of the people in the town.**

**Fez silently thinks they are all crazy, except for his friend Michael.**

**The real farm communities are in Osh Kosh and Kenosha. The only crops grown in Point Place are **

**vegetables from the backyard gardens. The Mayor's Wife and Jackie are the ones that like to boast that they **

**have a farm on their property because they each have 2 chickens and sell some of the eggs for profit. There **

**is also a cornfield across from church, each section belonging to a family.**

**Main Characters:**

**The Hyde Family:**

**Steven Hyde, Assistant Supervisor at Goodson's Textile Plant, married to Jackie,**

**they have a son and daughter. They make sure their kids are sent to Jackie's**

**cousin, Spinster Carla, in St. Louis a month before Harvest Day. Have the best**

**backyard garden/farm, the only residences allowed (apart from the Mayor) to have**

**chickens, so they can make a profit. Everyone else has a garden in their backyard.**

**Will Steven pay the ultimate price for not being able to turn down a dollar?**

**The Forman Family #1:**

**Red Forman, Owner of the local barbershop, married to Kitty, father to Laurie and**

**Eric. Laurie is a Spinster who is sent to work at Aunt Pearl's dairy farm in Osh**

**Kosh, she usually only comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas.**

**Will Kitty's secrets be revealed?**

**The Forman Family #2:**

**Eric Forman, line worker at the textile plant, married to Donna, no children. Best**

**friends with Steven Hyde.**

**Will Eric respect a last request?**

**Others:**

**Michael Kelso is the celebrated town bachelor, who finds ways to make money off**

**the town.**

**Helping him is Fez, who the locals fear when they aren't making jokes at his**

**expense. Michael used to go out with Jackie when she went to the local high school**

**before being courted by Steven.**

**_Preamble _**

**_Saturday Walk to the Grocers_**

**1945**

The Hyde's were the envy of mostly all in Point Place. The backyard farm and garden were thriving. It was two

weeks after Harvest Day and they had the best pickins' in the neighborhood. It was Saturday morning and it was

7:00 a.m. and Mrs. Steven Hyde, with the first name of Jackie, was buttoning her white smock from Mr. Lilley, the

butcher, at the grocers. She couldn't get her pink dress dirty. They were the only family, apart from the Mayor

who were allowed to have chickens as part of their small backyard, so they had the distinction of having both a

garden AND a farm on their property. The eggs had to be taken to the grocers as the store was closed on

Sunday, the Lord's Day. There was the note placed on the side of the basket that was lined in red gingham cloth,

in Steven's neat printing in #2 pencil, ._25 per egg, cash, unless otherwise noted_. Jackie's favorite part of this

weekly ritual was when she was able to take off her smock, put it in the washbasin that was outside by the

double basement doors, and go for her walk to the grocers. Steven always said that "boastin' be okay, once in

awhile, the neighbors need to reminded where some of their goods come from."

Donna, who fixing her white gloves, while she clasped her years old white handbag shut, greeted Jackie; she

was standing by the front gate of her house so they could walk to the grocers together.

Donna was slightly envious that Jackie had a nice pink spring hat. Eric said a woman only "be needin' a white hat

for goin' to church."

"Mornin', Jackie."

"Morning, Donna."

Jackie thought she was 1000 times smarter, and a 1000 times prettier than her best friend.

The town was still talking about Harvest Day from a month ago. Sometimes, it seemed that that's only all the

towns' folk spoke of.

"Widow Hayes is causin' problems." Donna enjoyed the walking, it was more freeing than being allowed to use

Eric's black DeSoto for the weekly grocers trip on Tuesdays.

"Her section of corn across from the church now belongs to Steven and me."

The sections were done in order of the properties and her husband was the winner of the lottery, the corn could

no longer belong to a single, senior widow.

"She knows the rules. It's all done fair and square, as Eric likes to say. It was a wonderful Harvest Day! _Oh, how _

_I enjoy the day so!_"

Donna's arm still had a bandage on her elbow when a stone accidentally hit her during the Harvest Day Ritual.

Dr. Wilson came by the house and "bandaged her up real good." It was a fine day, a fun time was had by all, the

rains came two days later, and it looked like this summer's crops would yield a bountiful harvest.

"I'll ask Steven, if we can give her some corn. Look, there is your Mother-In-Law sitting on the porch swing."

Jackie knew she just wanted to see her walk by in her frilly frocks every Saturday morning.

"Mornin', Kitty." Donna walked ahead

"Hello, Girls," Kitty barely looked at Jackie, "I don't suppose you have time to come in."

"I have to bring the eggs to the grocers, but you can Donna, I'll stop by and walk you home."

"You can't walk alone," Donna advised, even Kitty nodded her head, "We women folk have to be careful with

that foreigner around."

"I'm so glad bachelor Michael looks after him and gives him odd jobs to do." Kitty said putting her hand over her

heart. Her right arm still hurt from all of the throwing and cooking on Harvest Day.

"Can we see your garden on the way home?" Donna asked

"Sure."

"Our garden AND farm is wonderful!" Jackie added to taunt Kitty, "We also have 2 chickens, we make a profit

from selling some of the eggs, and now we are getting the Widow Hayes' section of the corn field across from

the church. But we'd love to see your little, quaint garden, Kitty, when Donna and I get back from the grocers.

Good day."

Kitty smiled and waved on the outside, but felt something rise up in her on the inside. She needed to get started

on her homemade chocolate chip cookies, they were voted best at the 4th of July picnic, if she was going to send

a basket over to Eric's and to give Red some with his lunch. She also wanted to make her miniature banana

bread for all of the neighbors.

It was not wise for a woman to be sitting on the porch without her suitor or husband, so Kitty walked quietly

back inside her house.

Jackie and Donna continued their short walk to the Main Street, Loudon's Grocery Store was right in the town's

center.

The women folk who were joined by their men folk for Saturday shopping knew to walk behind their husbands.

Bachelor Michael was selling lollipops in his beat up red Radio Flyer wagon for .3 outside the store; they weren't

allowed to sell inside by the giant red gum ball machine because Fez wasn't allowed inside.

"Hello, Jackie." He took off his pageboy hat out of respect.

"Hi, Michael…you know Steven doesn't like me talking to you. Have a nice day."

Donna opened up her purse and took out a nickel, "I'd like an orange lollipop."

"They're really for the children," Michael whispered, "But Fez, give Donna one anyway."

"Here you go, Mrs. Forman, an orange sucker."

He refused to give her the .2 change.

"Have a nice day." Donna said while walking inside the store to join Jackie.

"Thank you, Mr. Loudon," Jackie said to the store owner, who looked like a Jimmy Stewart type, she put the 3.00

in her purse, "Have a good day."

Donna waited until they left the grocers so that no one else would hear, "You made three whole dollars!"

"Every week. We'd make even more money, but we keep two dozen for us." Jackie replied as if the marriage

were truly equal.

"You'll have even more money when you acquire the Hayes' corn lot."

"I know. I hope I can get _another dress….."_

"You just got indoor plumbin'," Donna was somewhat jealous, how come Jackie got to have so much? Eric

promised that it would happen for them next year.

"It's become more of a necessity and less of a luxury."

Jackie noticed a few of the town's teenage male population grabbing rocks by the church. It was nice seeing

them play something else, _something less violent_ besides cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians.

Let them reenact Harvest Day.

Boys Will Be Boys.

Where could the harm possibly be in that?

"You're lucky, Jackie. Do you think Mom will be cross with me if I don't stop by to visit to see her garden? My

stomach isn't feelin' very well."

"I would just call her when you get home. Did you finish all of your morning chores?"

"Yes. I'll just take an aspirin. I'll be needin' to fix Eric's lunch."

"I'll see if I'll be able to check on you later," Jackie said as they stopped at Donna's front gate, "If the aspirin

doesn't work, call Dr. Wilson."

"I will. Goodbye, Jackie."

"Bye, Donna."

Jackie was happy; she had 3.00 whole dollars in her purse.

One always felt a sense of relief when they were in the safety of their very own home. Steven was in his den,

the door closed, which meant no one was to disturb him including her.

It was 8:45 according to her _real_ gold watch. She took off her hat and put it on the hooks in the entryway, she

tucked her white gloves (they were "invisibly" monogrammed JH in white thread, a trend in the big cities!)

in her brand new purse.

How Donna could walk down the streets with a purse that was 5 years old was beyond her.

It was all about appearances — and keeping them.

"You're back," Steven said, opening the sliding door of his den, he noticed the empty basket at her feet, "How

much did you get for the eggs?"

"3.00" She handed him three crisp one-dollar bills.

"Good," There was no kiss, not in the doorway, not where people could see, "I'll be goin' to the bank on

Monday."

"I was going to make some chicken soup, Donna doesn't feel very well since our walk to the grocers."

He seemed to think about it for a minute, but it was only 3 seconds.

"I suppose it's okay, make a batch to freeze, no sense in wastin' any."

Steven went back to his work as Jackie thought what outfit she should change into when she paid Donna a visit.

She was certain that Donna would love to see her new light yellow silk scarf; it was imported from Paris, France.

It had a horse on it, but first she had to make the chicken soup.

The Hyde's were a blessed family and Jackie knew that they always would be, because apart from the Mayor and

R.M. II who operated Goodson's, of all the residents, they had the most money.

**Author's Note: Thanks to Marla's Lost for encouraging me to put this story up.**

**I never put them in an established author's existing work and in this time period.  
**

**This is quite the challenge, but I'm having fun with it. I hope you like it. Please review and join our '70s fan **

**fiction forum, URL will be in the reviews section. Thanks.**


	2. It's Not Fair Part 1

**Chapter 1**

**It Wasn't Fair**

**Part One **

**The Local Church**

**1946**

It was February 20th, the date chosen because it was the day it always was. There was no specific reason

for that particular date, it was just what town founder Arthur C. Halverson chose. Unless, it fell on a Sunday

then it was pushed back to a Monday for it being Lord's Day and all. The twenty men of various stations

made up the local city council.

There were six officers, Mr. Kennedy, the bank manager, Mr. Loudon, the owner of the

grocery store, Dr. Wilson, Mr. R.M. II, the owner of Goodson's Textile Plant (who was the only one allowed

to vote by absentee ballot), Mr. Hyde, Assistant Supervisor at the plant (also liaison for R.M. II),

and Mr. R. Forman, owner of the barbershop.

Father McDonald put the black ballot box in the center of the alter table, the cross being kept in his

chambers during council meetings. Each man was given a pre-made ballot typed by one of the Girl Friday's

at Donaldson's law office and a standard issue #2 pencil. Father McDonald did the blessing, as Harvest Day

was one of Point Place's oldest and finest traditions. The family surnames were listed in alphabetical order.

It wasn't personal, it wasn't out of malice, it was fair, and above board. You checked your box, not being

allowed to check off your own name, Father McDonald put a small number on the back, bottom left hand

corner, in #2 pencil. Mr. R.M. II, always away on "important town business", mailed in his ballot to the

church, Father McDonald would open the envelope when he calculated the votes.

When he went in his chamber to count the ballots, there was to be no talking. Some of the older men

brought their Bibles, some of the younger men brought the newspaper, some did both, others neither. It

only took about five minutes, ten if a double count was needed. Father McDonald returned to the front of

the alter, holding his tally card.

"Please rise, Gentlemen."

There were no visible emotions on the faces of the men. This was how their grandfather's did it, this is how

their father's did it, and for the first generation of young men here it was no different, this is how they were

raised in Point Place.

"For Harvest Day 1946, Mrs. Eric Forman was chosen. You may all leave now except for Mr. E. Forman. God

be with you all."

The person had the option of knowing the score or not. Some of the older men thought it went against the

grain, Eric did want to know, so McDonald told him, it was

_**19 Yea. **_

_**1 Nay. **_

Father McDonald led Eric to the telephone that was in the back room where they kept the signs for bingo

days in the spring and the toy drive in the winter.

The Women folk were not allowed to leave their homes on February 20th, if any men folk were chosen

they'd be at the church and escorted back to work to finish their day. If your phone rang at 1:00 p.m., on

that date, it was a common shared knowledge that you were female and chosen.

Donna was ironing when wall mounted black rotary phone rang. It could have been Jackie, needing to

borrow a cup of flour, because she couldn't go to the grocer's today, it could've been little Mary Jane

Hanson who lost her pretty yellow hair ribbon when she bicycled by yesterday, it could've been just about

anybody. She stopped her ironing and went to answer the phone.

"Hello?" She felt her heart rate exceed its normal pace.

"It's Me, Eric. You've been chosen for Harvest Day. I have to go back to work. I'll be home for dinner.

Goodbye."

The love gone from his voice, Donna wasn't surprised, it had been that way for quite awhile.

**Forman #2 Residence**

That was that. She stood up to wash her hands in the sink. She saw Jackie from the kitchen window smiling

at the flowers in her window box. Donna needed to finish ironing Eric's Sunday best shirts if the pot roast

was going to be ready on time for his supper.

**4:43 p.m.**

Donna sat at the kitchen table, her hands pressing into the blue gingham of her apron. Her household

chores were done for the moment as she waited for the oven timer to go off. She had time to sit and be

alone with her thoughts.

_It wasn't fair._

_It wasn't fair._

_It wasn't fair!_

She thought over and over as if she only had one notion in her brain. She saw the sunset from the small

kitchen window that was above the sink. The men folk would be coming home from work; ten minutes after

the factory whistle blew they'd be in their kitchens having their wonderful and hot home-cooked meals. It

was understood as she set the table with the plain white china, she saw her friend Jackie, her hair 'done

just right' after her trip to the beauty salon yesterday through the kitchen window and she was doing the

same thing, setting her table with the Hyde's 14-K golden rimmed white china. They were better off

financially with her husband, Steven, being assistant supervisor of the textile plant.

Eric's newspaper was put on the end table by his easy chair. It was his job to repair the ballot box, but all

he did was pass it on to Steven Hyde, Jackie's husband (because they were friends who got away with

crossing financial and class lines), who passed it on to Michael Kelso, the well-known town bachelor, who

passed it on to Fez who fixed the box because he knew he would be deported to whatever town he came

from if he didn't know "his place" as the only non-Caucasian in town. Eric tipped him .10 cents and gave him

a coupon for a free haircut at his father's Red's barbershop knowing full well, he wasn't allowed inside any

of the town's businesses.

Mother-In-Law Kitty sent Donna over an extra jar of her homemade blueberry preserves when she knew

she could leave the house. Yes, the tradition was old, there was talk about stopping it all together, but it

was an institution after all. It was done to help the local farmer's in all of the neighboring towns have

successful crops for the season.

Kenosha stopped following harvest traditions and look what happened the rains came, they

were punished with floods instead, their plants closed, and 50 townspeople unnecessarily died. Nothing

happened that year in Point Place. Everyone in church said this was a sign of the way they were doing

things was "right" and "God's way" so they took the burden upon themselves that they were helping their

neighbors out-of-the-city-limits as well.

The phone rang again as Donna took the pot roast out of the oven. The factory whistle was about to blow,

so the roast needed to be cool before Eric could cut it with the electric carving knife.

"Hello, Donna. I saw you through the window a few times today."

"Hi, Jackie. _It isn't fair,"_

"I'm calling to ask you if you'd to go to Halverson's with me tomorrow? Steven gave me my weekly

allowance. You're going to need a new dress for Harvest Day."

"This is because I cannot have children."

"That's simple nonsense, that's not true, need I remind you about your own mother. She should have left

Mr. Pinciotti when she had the legal chance. You know divorces aren't allowed during Harvest Season. You

are Eric's property. Now is not the time for you to be a speaking about women's rights jibberish."

Women could vote in federal elections, but were excluded from anything local as

Steven said to his fellow councilmen, it would keep the feds off their backs, "didn't need the big

government stickin' its big nose in local affairs."

The town whistle blew and Donna could feel the slight sense of panic rise in Jackie's throat as she talked. It

could have easily been her and despite her semi-boasting she knew it as well.

The men folk were on their way home from the factory.

"I'll ask Steven if I can have an extra dollar, I'll buy you a pretty bow for your hair. Bye, Donna."

"Bye, Jackie."

The women in town sat in silence at their respective dinner tables, as the men didn't want to be disturbed

after their grueling day of work at the factory, but Eric wanted to have dinner conversation.

There _was talk_ that she might try to run.

She had a _reputation. _

She took lollipops meant for the town's children.

"It's tradition and very silly of you if you try to run away. It's done all fair and square. The roast beef is

good, I find saltin' it to be unnecessary."

Donna refilled the coffee, Eric's cup first.

"_It's not fair_. Who will iron your shirts? Make your dinner?" She bit her lip dare she speak out of turn, "Have

sex with you?"

Not that they even had sex anymore.

She didn't forget her mother. Her father left Point Place and there was a rumor that he committed suicide,

but there wasn't a local paper trail to confirm it.

"We make our lots in this life," Eric drank his coffee, his Dad reminded him that they could send for his

spinster sister Laurie, who was helping Aunt Pearl on her dairy farm in Osh Kosh and she could do

everything minus the last point his wife brought up.

"How about a trade?"

"Women folk are not allowed to make changes to the system, and you know as well as I, you have taken

part in every Harvest Day since you were four and allowed to do so."

"_But it's not fair."_ Donna replied in a quiet despair.

She needed to start cleaning up the dinner dishes.

**Hyde Residence**

"Did Donna tell you?" Steven asked during dinner, it was also roast beef night at his

house.

"I went to water the plants in my window box and I saw her on the phone at 1:00 p.m. It'll be a good

Harvest."

"We will need the rain. After dinner, I'll be in the den…."

"Steven, May I have an extra dollar? I'd like to buy Donna a hair bow for Harvest Day."

"Sure. I'll put it an envelope and leave it on your dresser. You best get started on the dishes if you're

gonna be startin' my bath on time."

"Would you like roast beef sandwiches for tomorrow's lunch?"

"Yes, doll. And put a capful of them Epsom salts in the bath, I think I pulled a muscle in my back today."

"Okay, Sweetie."

**Later, around 10 p.m. **

Jackie was too curious, so when Steven was sound asleep from a long, hard, and financially rewarding

day's work she quietly got out of bed. If he did wake up, he'd only think she was in their bathroom. Her

nightgown was a cotton/silk blend, it wasn't white, _it was cream_ and it had tiny pink roses on it. It was too

beautiful not to be seen, but she took her robe, also pink, off her vanity chair, slid on her pink slippers and

had to see for herself.

She also had cream colored sleeping cap, she never could let her husband see the actual curlers that she

slept in.

The room was lit from the candles they kept on the fireplace mantle. She walked to the kitchen, there was

no sense pulling down the blinds, even though the window above the sink was closed, she was still afraid

to cough or sneeze. There was Donna pacing back and forth, her nightgown wasn't a mix of cotton/silk and

she wore that same plain white robe from 1935! Eric was doing all of the talking, it looked more like yelling,

and pointing his index finger in his wife's face.

They were their respective husband's property, after all. Jackie didn't let that fact bother her_, her and _

_Steven were different. _

She put her own hand over her mouth when she saw Eric slap Donna across the face as

as she walked behind him out of the sight, with her head down, admitting defeat, and

presumably to their bedroom. Jackie slightly jumped when she felt two hands go on her

tiny shoulders. It was her husband, nothing to be afraid of.

"I couldn't sleep. I need a glass of water."

"It's not goin' to be out the window. You were spyin' on Eric and Donna, woman."

He did have a twinkle in his eye. Should she tell him what she saw? Steven never raised

a hand to her, he did believe in spanking their children when they disobeyed. They never

questioned how they were raised. They did what was expected of them. Little Jimmy Hyde, age 5 and Little

Sally Hyde, age 3 would be at Spinster Carla's a month before Harvest Day. This is how _Jackie knew she'd _

_always be safe. Steven would see to it_.

"A little bit. Are you mad, Steven?"

"No. Let's go back to bed." They could walk side-by-side in their own house, only courting couples could

walk arm-in-arm publicly, and that was to show the other men who "_their women_" were, that they were no

longer available.

"Eric slapped Donna across the face." Jackie said as they got back into their warm bed.

"She spoke out of turn," He replied matter-of-factly.

"Goodnight, Jackie, and no more adventures."

"Goodnight, Steven." Jackie looked at her husband, the moon from the windows putting their shadows on

the wall.

_She spoke out of turn._

She took a deep breath and sank into the covers, there was no need to worry, they weren't going to wind

up like Donna and Eric, they were better than that, but her husband's succinct words still left her unable fall

asleep.


	3. The Night Before

**Chapter 2**

**The Night Before  
**

**Months after the events in Chapter 1**

**Forman #2 Residence**

Donna sat in the hot bath; it wasn't soothing on her skin. She theorized if she could get

the water as hot as she could physically stand it, maybe tomorrow wouldn't be so bad. It

was tradition after all, a good harvest was needed and that _was the purpose _of Harvest

Day. Her was hair done, a soft curl added to her raven mane. Mr. Sunbury, from across the

street, paid for her visit to the salon with his "harvest money" from last year,

every girl should look pretty.

She couldn't get her hair wet, and Eric thought swimming caps were an unnecessary expense.

Her hands tightly gripped the white bar of soap with a Swan design etched on it. Eric was in his

den downstairs, paying the bills, muttering that he needed a good harvest or he'd never

be in the black.

It was the indoor plumbing and trying to keep up with his best friend since he was a kid.

Steven had the best ideas, but she wasn't allowed to know what they were. Jackie was

lucky. He'd fight the unfairness.

_It was still unfair, but it was tradition_.

The children loved Harvest Day.

Ten minutes later Eric harshly knocked on the bathroom door.

"Donna," he stated matter-of-factly, "You need to get an early shut eye for the Harvest

Day tomorrow." And there was the normal Sunday church services beforehand.

She pulled the plug out of the bathtub; the bathroom wasn't nearly as nice as Jackie and

Steven's. It needed some repairs. There were plain white towels along the edge of the

bathtub to catch any leaks. The sink had a small tin bucket underneath it, the pipe

taped with a two layers of duct tape. The toilet's handle was loose. Eric kept putting off

fixing it. He was certain he could get a loan at the bank on Monday. Mr. Kennedy gave

him a little ceramic pig with the words Point Place Community Bank stamped on it when

he was 6 years old. He could have a house as nice as Steven's, but first, things needed to

be settled. Donna put her white robe on over her wet, naked, body.

"I need to put my sleepin' clothes on."

"It shouldn't take you all night," Eric opened the door, to see her sitting on the toilet; it

looked so inappropriate with the lid not down, and even then would it kill her to have a little

moral fiber?

"Did you make my sandwiches for Monday's lunch?"

She unpursed her lips, "Yes."

He closed the door and Donna's hands trembled as she reached for her undergarments that

were hanging from the hook on the door.

**Hyde Residence**

Jackie was always silently relieved when the kid's were sent to Spinster Carla's in St.

Louis a month before Harvest Day. She opened the dark blue glass jar containing her

cold cream. A small pink rose was printed on the white label and was also etched on top of the jar

cap. She dipped two fingers in the jar and began to rub the cold cream on her face, it

contained real rose oil and she knew that's how Steven liked her to smell. He was in

the den, this time of year, there were always phone calls at night, and he was on his way to

becoming one of the most influential men in all of Point Place. She knew she wasn't allowed

downstairs the night before Harvest Day. Was it wrong not to be thinking of Donna?

_They really weren't friends anyway._

Many women were sending out signals that they get to be the one to walk with Jackie to the grocers every

Saturday. Was there an opening in the once-a-month afternoon Canasta game?

She knew she wanted to wear her brand new blue dress, it was her favorite color,

it was just the perfect calve length. Her dressmaker always made

sure she looked proper. She was glad her sleeping cap was on when her husband

returned, still not able to take off his work clothes from the day. The silence silently

turned her on. He went in the bathroom and closed the door. Jackie got up and went to

her closet and took out the dark powder blue dress, it was a deeper color than blue sky and it

had little yellow flowers on the stiff triangular shaped pointed white collar and cuffs.

She loved her frilly slips and hoped that they never went out of fashion.

They made her waistline look even smaller.

She placed it on the outside of her closet on the door frame, she knew the unspoken rule

and got Steven's suit, made especially by a Chicago tailor, and shipped by parcel post, and laid it out for

him in the same manner. He gave her an extra allowance so she could buy two small butterfly

shaped hairclips in the same dark powder blue color as her dress. He surprised her with another

white hat, because she had the "perfect shade of blue" ribbon to fasten around it. That

was tucked safely for the night in the purple box Halverson's used for the millinery

department, she was going to be the prettiest woamn there with her peep-toe platform pumps,

specially dyed to match the dress, that matched, the hat, that matched the ribbon, that

matched the hairclips. It was going to be the most wonderful day; her favorite white

monogrammed white gloves were tucked inside her new white spring purse. They were

the most important couple in the city, even above R.M. II and his wife, they were always

away and Steven was his liaison at the plant. She hoped that Steven didn't mind that her

stockings were hung over the towel rack to dry. She couldn't wait to see the look on

Kitty Forman's face, when she saw her new ensemble. There was that pesky business to

attend to first; it was done fair and right. It was never a problem before, so why would it

suddenly be a problem now? She wondered if Steven would fancy her womanly ways before

sleeping tonight? Jackie didn't even hear Steven reenter the room; he put his hand on her

shoulder.

"I have to make one more phone call and then I'm done for the night," He didn't have to

explain anything to her and that's what made her husband different.

_He'd change things if he could._

It went unsaid.

"Please have my bath ready. I'm goin' to need it."

"Sure, honey." She kissed his cheek, smiling as he wiped the traces of cold cream off his

face.

**35 Minutes Later **

**Forman #2 Residence**

Donna watched Eric sleeping. How could he be sleeping so soundly? Her stomach had

knots in them and it wasn't like when she was five years old and ate too much Christmas

candy. She was terrified to get out of bed. She couldn't see the clock in the dark, but she

could hear the endless ticking, reminding her that time was still moving forward.

Sleeping didn't seem to matter, so she laid there and thought of when her and Eric were courting.

_He was so different back then,_ when they were in school. They could walk down the city streets,

arm in arm, her holding the wildflowers he picked especially for her. He used to smile,

and she remembered how handsome his features used to be. They would sit on his

father's back porch and drink Kitty's homemade lemonade; Kitty twisted the lemon slices

that danced in the glass that they almost seemed to float. He would put his arm around her and

she felt that she could walk on air. They would look at the stars and they didn't have to talk.

Those were wonderful evenings and how he would escort her back to her house, sneaking

a kiss on her father's porch. She would whisper, "Goodnight, Eric" and he'd whisper

back, "Goodnight, M'lady.", the living room light would be turned on as Bob made

certain that Eric didn't corrupt his sweet Donna with any ideas. She would dance up the staircase and

run to her bedroom window to see Eric walk with a spring in his step, being joined by his best

friends Steven and Michael as they laughed and ran back to their homes, and then she'd

wait for her parents to be asleep before she ran downstairs in her stocking feet sneaking

a giggle and whispered filled phone call with Jackie having to tell her best friend that he kissed her

and that his lips felt so good pressed against hers.

Donna turned on her side, silently letting the tears flow out of her eyes, and down her

cheeks. _That man_ in the bed next to her, that cold man, _was not the Eric that she knew_. He

was slowly slipping away into someone unrecognizable and she wondered what the

future would have in store for him after she fell down?

"May God watch over you." She whispered to his sleeping body, waiting for the reprieve

that was never going to come.


	4. Harvest Day

**Chapter 3**

**Harvest Day  
**

**Forman #2 Residence**

Eric wasn't nervous. It wasn't so bad. She was starting to get too flighty. Starting to question the status quo.

Donna did go to Halverson's with Jackie last week and the whispering chatting-Cathy's behind the

counter found the perfect dress for Donna to wear to the parade and during the

harvest ritual. It was light pink, with a peter pan collar. Steven did give Jackie permission to buy that hair bow

and Donna put her hair in a ponytail and attached the bow in the back without any help from anyone.

"I really don't know what shoes to wear."

"You only have 2 pair. One for everyday, one for church goin', and since today is Sunday..."

"I left a list for Laurie by the toaster with all of your preferences on it."

"You're stallin' and we cannot be late….put your shoes, gloves, and hat on. You won't

be needin' a handbag."

**Hyde Residence**

Jackie sat at her vanity. Steven made it with his own two hands. He allowed her to get her hair done

once-a-week, she looked her best all dolled up. Her petticoats were the frilliest, and Steven bought her 7 pair of

little white gloves, even though she could only leave the house for grocery shopping, school meetings, and hair

appointments, and the like, her favorite time of year when she went to the dressmakers. She put on her gloves

and grabbed her small white purse.

"I'm glad that Donna changed her mind." Steven said fixing his tie. Church, Harvest Day, Weddings, Funerals,

and going to the bank to see Mr. Kennedy were the only time a man needed to be so formal.

"Laurie will take care of Eric's needs."

"Most of them, anyway. He knows the rules, it was done fair and square."

Mr. And Mrs. Steven Hyde sent their kids to Spinster Cousin's Carla's house in St. Louis.

They were never home during the harvest season. There were some whispers in that community

that it wasn't fair, but it was a month before and perfectly legal.

"The doorbell is ringing. I believe it is Michael." Jackie stated

"In that case, I will go downstairs and answer it."

Steven never trusted Jackie alone with Michael.

"I made $100.00 in five minutes. Not many people want to pick their own stones anymore." Michael

straightened his pageboy cap.

"That's because we have Fez…give him his cut."

Which was about $1.50

**After Sunday Church Services**

Donna put her hand over her Bible, waiting for a sign, everyone anxious, on pins and needles waiting for Father

McDonald's instructions. Her eyes glanced all over the room,

she stopped at Jackie and Steven, they didn't even acknowledge her presence earlier. They sat so tall and smug,

that they were better than everyone else in the room, especially Jackie. She was bragging about her "pretty

outfit" and "how much it cost". She would put her hand to her heart and bring her wrist down as if she were

being playful. The laughter cutting right through her and they just walked to Loudon's the day before so that she

could sell her weekly basket of eggs and Jackie bragged about her new fancy outfit and

all of the accessories that went with it then.

"Everyone rise." Father McDonald said

They needed to get a move on if they were to have lunch on time.

He would escort Donna to the start of the parade site, the corner where Main Street started. Eric could have, as

any spouse, guide her but he chose not to and stayed for the Harvest Day brief council meeting. The men not on

the council would lead the rest of the women folk to safe spots on the parade route as the children looked for

rocks to collect.

Steven, as did the rest of the other men, took off their fancy jackets and rolled up their sleeves of their crisp

white shirts. Jackie suggested he wear it because it was blue pinstriped and no other men had a dress shirt like

that. He put the sterling silver cube shaped cufflinks in his trouser pocket and stood in front of the alter

opening up his Bible to read 2 small passages, first Matthew, Ch. VII, v.9

"_Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?" _

There was no emotion in his voice, this was the way it was always done, from the men that set the example for

the younger generation to follow.

"In Ecclesiastes, Ch. XI, v. 6, _In the mornin' sow thy seed, and in the evenin' withhold not thine hand: for thou _

_knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. _Let us have a good

Harvest Day, gentlemen. Let's have a moment of silence for our fellow council member, Mr. Eric Forman on this

day before we go outside and join Father McDonald for the official opening prayer."

There was something else on his mind, but he couldn't figure out what it was yet. He told Eric at Red's

barbershop last week on what he was thinking of, but asked him not to answer until after the Ritual. Not only

was Harvest Day good for the crops, but it was also good for cleaning out a man's soul.

**Parade Route**

He didn't even say goodbye, not even this morning when she cooked the scrambled eggs that she couldn't eat.

The council men were exiting the church, there wasn't even a farewell from her In-Laws. No one that she cared

about would even look at her today. She didn't even hear Father McDonald's official opening prayer, the

applause started, all Donna could do was walk holding her Bible close to her chest.

_Please let it be over quick. _

Donna's mind flashed to Midge, two years ago, and many of the boys were in World War II, but Harvest Day still

went on as scheduled. Her mother wore a yellow dress as she walked down Main Street. She waved to Mr.

Kennedy, the bank manager, Mr. Loudon from the grocery store, their wives behind them, the children collecting

painted rocks as if they were Easter eggs. The parade took you down Main Street and in the field (that was also

used by the boys as a baseball diamond) then behind the church. Donna remembered Midge's breathy empty

pleadings, "_but it's not fair. It was supposed to be Kitty Forman! The system is rigged!"_ Her Father-in-Law urging

her father Bob to "get the job done" so they could retire to the picnic grounds for the annual Harvest celebration

picnic of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and a tiny ear of corn. Dessert was Kitty Forman's blue ribbon winning

homemade apple pie. Mr. Loudon decided to start offering root beer for the kids to drink, let the adults have tea

and coffee, they deserved a special Sunday treat on Harvest Celebration Day instead of milk.

It wasn't fair to keep Coroner Killeany on the clock on a Sunday.

"Get your painted rocks here!" Fez said to the group of town's children, they were shades of red, blue, and

green. He had to remember to give the Radio Flyer back to his pal Michael who was charging him .5 an hour to

use it.

Steven bought Jackie a blue rock and told her in his most stern voice to, "_please not throw like a girl._" Jackie

continued to walk behind her husband (even though this was the one day a year when the rules were relaxed)

to the field. They were going to be in the first row, then she had to help Mrs. Forman and the other ladies with

picnic duties.

Jackie lost all of her thoughts as she wound up her arm as if she were a pitcher in the World Series. _It was her_

_stone _that hit Donna square in the eye, the stone that made her trip over her feet and fall down just waiting for

it to be over and done with.

_Make it st-op_

_Dear God, mak-_

The last conscious thought Mrs. Eric Forman had was the little poem the teacher's taught them in elementary

school about Harvest Day.

_To ensure a good harvest we need more than rain._

_We need to sacrifice a townsperson, not in vain.  
_

Little Timmy Johnson and his friends jumped up and down that they finished their bag of rocks. The parents used

to discourage the boasting, that it wasn't respectful to the spouse left behind, especially if the spouse that was

left behind was a male, but it was done "fair and square. It was tradition."

Eric clapped his hands together in a satisfactory way of a job well done and rubbed the dust from the rocks onto

his good "church goin'" trousers as he walked alongside his father. Now that it was over, the women folk were

at the picnic grounds preparing the fried chicken picnic. Coroner Killeany, a plump little balding man, waited for

the ambulance to arrive. The men folk decided in 1931 that the siren could be used; after all it was done all fair

and square. This was a day of celebration, to ensure the good harvest, to ensure the right amount of rain.

The only ones left behind in the field were Steven and Jackie, he held her hand, and as long as a woman was

with her husband she was allowed to stay behind after the Ritual.

He wanted to talk to her before she joined the rest of the women.

"Jackie," Steven reached into his inside jacket packet for a cigarette, "I'm thinkin' about movin'. We can join the

kids and live in St. Louis."

She felt that she could actually breathe; she wrapped her arms around her husband and kissed him on the

cheek, (another relaxed rule on Harvest Day) not minding the cigarette smoke.

"Yes, moving is a great idea and I cannot wait to see the children! I'll make sure you get the biggest piece of

fried chicken." And he watched her, with a mix of power and pride, run off to get an apron from the Widow

Crawford.

_It was fair. _

Steven took one last drag of his cigarette, before he put it out with his boot. There was a pending measure in

the local city council to stop Harvest Day altogether, but Forman, Jr. suggested that instead that the Harvest

Ritual only be applicable to the women folk. It would still be done in the same fair and square manner. The vote

was pending it was a tradition to include the men and they were divided.

_Why go changing something that was already perfect and accepted?_

If the vote went through Steven was going to _sublet _the house, it made better sense than to just sell it outright.

He knew Mr. Kennedy would give him mortgage forgiveness for Harvest Day and his position in the community.

_He could make some more much needed money._

He continued to watch Jackie, his wife, his property, go on to help Eric's mother,

Mrs. Forman prepare lunch for the hungry townspeople with the rest of the women.

He decided to sit by Eric who couldn't touch his dinner. It was only right that he get the first plate.

"Do you have an extra cigarette on you?"

Steven took gave the rest of the pack to Eric, he had more at home.

"Here's the lighter." A sterling silver Zippo with his initals engraved on it, that matched the money clip

in his pocket.

"Thanks. So have you decided what you are goin' to do, Steven?"

The town's children applauded when the ambulance left, its siren blaring in the spring sun.

"It's tradition," he took a deep breath, _it was fair_.

"I'm sure we'll get a mighty good rain for the crops."

"To answer your question, it depends on the council vote."

"I didn't suggest changes to make of our lives even more difficult…it was to make things fairer. We need men to

work in the factories, be called to serve if needed, and to work the fields out of Point Place.

Kenosha, and Osh Kosh need our help."

"I know. And I wouldn't be sellin' the house;_ I'll sublet. Make money off the deal._"

"Mortgage forgiveness from Mr. Kennedy, that'll be good for you, Steven, for the kids. I suppose that means….."

He stood up, hungry for that delicious fried chicken, and waved at Jackie to hurry it up, "The Wife and I will be

here for Harvest Day."

Eric softly smiled, "Shall I tell my Dad? We can call an emergency council meetin'."

"No, Eric. We'll do it at the regular time. It has to be a matter of the official record and all."

**After the Picnic**

Jackie was smiling as she washed the glasses in a soapy metal wash bin and wrapped them in protective

newspaper and cheesecloth. They were Mr. Halverson's special crystal glasses that were to be used during the

Harvest Day Picnic, _nothing could happen to them, they were very special, and everyone knew not to break_

_them._

"What's got you so happy?" Kitty asked, wrapping the special Harvest robin's egg blue

china with tiny white flowers on the rim also from the Halverson Family Collection in the same manner.

The men would be carrying the chest back to the mansion at the top of the hill where it would go

downstairs in the basement next to the boxes of Christmas decorations that decorated all

of Main Street after Thanksgiving, while the women sat like little obedient soldiers with

their white gloved hands clutching handbags in their Packards, DeSotos, and Oldsmobile Clubs.

"You have to promise not to tell another soul."

Kitty crossed her heart, hope to die, stick a needle in _her _eye.

"Steven wants to sell the house! We're moving to St. Louis!" Kitty thought Jackie thought she was so special

because she made an extra point to use the 'ing', instead of talking like a true local and she was sick and tired of

hearing about how wonderful she looked today.

While Harvest Day was a jubilant celebration, it was still the Lord's Day after all.

"That's wonderful," Kitty bit her lip, she was such an entitled little bitch, "That's wonderful for you, dear."

Let next Harvest Day have the majority put a check mark next to her name on the ballot!

**In the Halverson Mansion basement**

Eric _accidentally _let it slip; Steven supposed he wasn't in his right mind. He'd take him out for a drink on Friday;

they had to wake up early tomorrow for a hard day's work at the plant.

Kennedy, Loudon, Forman Sr., and the rest of the old men were silently thrilled, it was only during the past

two years or so that some young men were abandoning the tradition of the Harvest Celebration to go off to

Kenosha, Sheboygan, or the sinful city of Chicago! Steven Hyde was a salt of the Earth, young man. He knew

and most importantly valued the significance of the towns traditions.

"You come by the bank bright and early tomorrow morning, Steven, and we'll start the

mortgage forgiveness paperwork. How much you have left on your house, son?"

Kennedy asked.

"About 1 grand."

"Not bad, not bad at all."

"And you're an assistant supervisor," Eric said helping his father put the trunk in it's proper place next to the

holiday street lamp decorations, "I'm sure Mr. R.M. II, will overlook you being late."

"Would you like us to have an emergency council meetin'?" Red asked

"It has to be a matter of the official record and all, I'd rather wait until the next month."

'Yes' all the men nodded and patted each other's backs, they decided that was smart. Smart

indeed. After Mr. Killeany had finished the business in the local hospital, he returned to

his modest home, not the Harvest Day Picnic, it made no sense at all waking a fine man

out of a sound sleep.

Jackie pulled her sterling silver seashell shaped mirrored compact out of her purse. It was a gift from Steven for

Christmas. She took out her new favorite Revlon lipstick shade, Bachelor's Carnation, and put a coat on her lips,

taking extreme care not to get any on her perfect white gloves. Kitty waved to her from the DeSoto, but it

seemed so phony, oh well, this happened to Jackie a great deal, women were always jealous of her, even ones,

especially ones, old enough to be her mother.

"Everything go well?" Jackie asked when Steven entered the car.

"Yes. Before you turn in tonight, I need another suit ready for tomorrow mornin'."

Jackie's face beamed, he had to be going to the bank!

"Sure, honey."

"And can you put my regular work clothes in a grocery bag? I'll be goin' straight to the factory afterwards."

"I had a feeling that you were going to the bank." She kissed him on the cheek, leaving a red lipstick imprint; he

was going to have to wash his face with Lava soap.

He certainly could use that $1,000 forgiveness. How we wanted to get rid of the Packard and acquire a red

Hewson Rocket when the 1947 models became available.

Yes, he made a wise decision.

"Don't forget to bring Mr. Killaney his plate of fried chicken tomorrow. I left you .20 for bus fare, since I'll be

needin' the car and all. The poor man never gets to have any of the eats from the celebration."

A crystal plate was saved and wrapped up in cellophane in the empty ice-cooler in the trunk.

"Of course, Steven. How's Eric?"

"It's best not to talk about it. He'll be fine. Me and the boys from the factory will take him out for a drink on

Friday."

"Good, good. I heard Aunt Pearl will be putting Laurie on the first bus. She should be arriving in the morning."

"She'll have to make Eric's breakfast."

Michael told the guys in the Halverson basement, as Fez stayed outside by the driveway to watch the row of

cars containing the wives (not realizing that the local male teenage youth, were watching him, with leftover

stones in their pockets) that he might go after Laurie, if she was as beautiful now as she was before she left.

Red reminded him that she was a spinster and too old to be dating, plus she was coming to town to take care of

her brother not to satisfy Kelso's urges.

"He has to go work tomorrow."

"We also talked about getting rid of the unsightly outhouses. If you have indoor plumbin', it kind of makes it all

unnecessary. Rumor has it; one of the automakers might be buildin' a plant here. Too much buildin' isn't good for

the economy. The federal government only likes men to think the opposite. We can take that wood to the mill

and get some money for our troubles."

If Point Place became too industrial, the town's parades, traditions, and way of doing things would fall by the

wayside.

They had to keep things the way that they were, _for the sake of their children_.

Eric advised him when they left Halverson's basement that it was best to start pulling back, you

never knew when the name was going to be pulled from the ballot box, and now with the town laws about to

change, it was best to look at everything from the fiscal perspective, like their forefathers had done. There was

talk of Mayor Ralston stepping down and putting Steven Hyde's name on the ballot, even if he just stayed here

during Harvest Time, it could easily be arranged to prevent the youth from leaving the city limits.

They would bend the rules for this man after all, he was R.M. II's liaison.

"Yes, if all goes well, we'll be in St. Louis by next month."

Jackie couldn't wait to walk around town with her head held high; she knew all along that she was better than

all of the women folk in all of Point Place.

_She also knew _as she put her demure gloved hand on his knee _that Steven would always take good care of her_.

_Always_.


	5. Aftermath

**Chapter 4  
**

**The Aftermath**

**Hyde Residence**

It was one of the best kept hidden secrets of Point Place, Wisconsin, after the Harvest Day picnic there was

4% surge of babies born in February making the spontaneous date of February 20th chosen by Arthur C.

Halverson, a very wise one indeed. It also made the voting a little easier on the town's men.

"Not wise to give a man too many burdens" was written in Halverson's journals that were discovered after

he died.

Jackie was feeling a natural euphoria as she walked behind her husband; she was the one able to

(although distasteful to her to be riding a public bus, but never one to talk out of turn to her husband)

bring Killeany his plate of fried chicken. She also had the distinct honor along with Kitty Forman to walk to

the church and take part in the personal Bible collecting.

It was game for the adults to play, starting in 1916, where the women (upon

the male council vote) would leave their Bibles behind as to not distract from the Father giving his official

opening prayer for Harvest Day.

She knew her basket was going to be prettier than Kitty's, it was lined with

yellow gingham, and then they would spend the morning delivering the Bibles to their neighbors.

The only exception was, the family of the lottery winner, and if the winner

chose to walk the parade route with their Bible, it was given to the spouse or other family member to take

home with the Father's blessing.

With cleaning up after the picnic and the men making sure all of the supplies were safely put back in the

Halverson mansion's basement, there was no time to collect everything from the church. The men would

sometimes leave their personal Bibles behind if they had a bigger volume at home. She would wear her

spring green dress and her matching spring green Mary Jane's with the small heel not as high as these

movie star square peep-toe platforms, but she was the most beautiful woman there and that's what it was

all about to Mrs. Steven Hyde.

They went about their quiet business of putting things away for the night and Jackie putting the plate for

Coroner Killeany in the refrigerator. Steven went to his den and Jackie made sure all of the blinds were put

down; she noticed Eric was not home as his car wasn't in the driveway.

Steven was going to the bank tomorrow, she decided to get his extra paper bag of work clothes ready and

to put out another suit for him. She walked upstairs happier than she had ever been,

_they were going to St. Louis_. _Forever._

It was no secret that Harvest Day brought out the lust of the married women folk in Point Place tonight.

Steven wouldn't wait for a Saturday night to make love with his wife; he'd do so tonight. Sunday night.

Even though there was work on Monday. She didn't need to know the specifics, she pieced it together that

Goodson's St. Louis location was finished and who should train those workers but Assistant Supervisor

Steven Hyde?

When he came back upstairs, Jackie surprised him by wrapping her arms around him and lavishing him with

kisses. He pulled her closer and let her fall backwards on their neatly made bed with the cream colored

blankets with the blue trim.

"I'm doin' everything for you, woman."

She rubbed her hands on his shoulders. "I know. I love you, Steven. Make love to me, I

want to feel dirty….."

The blood sport was already on both of their hands.

**Forman #1 Residence**

Red Forman poured his son a shot of bourbon from the bar in his den. He didn't want to go home, so he

rode with Red and Kitty after the picnic.

"It had to be done." Red said, pouring a shot for himself as well, now that it was over, it

was wise not to be talking about the Ritual part of Harvest Day.

No one knew the bricks that building up inside of Eric. He felt as if he had ice water

flowing through his veins instead of blood.

"What if Laurie doesn't make it tomorrow?"

"Then I'll close the barbershop during lunch and take care of it."

Money above all, that was the whole point of Harvest Day to keep the abundance

flowing from now until the next one.

"Thanks, Dad."

"Do you know what the best part after the Harvest Day picnic is?"

Eric didn't really care.

"What's that?"

"We get to raid the refrigerator and eat some of the leftover fried chicken! I like the

drumsticks!"

Kitty and Red agreed that Eric could spend the night if it that was an easier alternative to

go to work on Monday. Wednesday was Funeral Day when the fallen person was buried.

Eric let his father run ahead to the kitchen as he stayed in the den and poured himself

another bourbon. He took his wedding ring off his finger with no emotion on his face and

put it in his trouser pocket for selling later.

Eric poured the contents of Red's aluminum wastebasket on the floor it only contained

crumbled up pieces of paper, Wrigley's gum wrappers, and a broken #2 pencil, there was

something that he needed to do. He took the Bible that belonged to Donna off the small

table next to the bar, dumped it into the wastebasket, and lit a match.

"_Why, Eric, why didn't you stop it? Why?"_

The only interruption to his thoughts was the beauty of the flickering flames and his

father calling out from the living room that he'd better get in the kitchen if he wanted any

leftover drumsticks before he ate them all.

Eric knew what he had to do; he went upstairs in his old bedroom to find something

that he needed, leaving the mess for his father to clean up, or maybe,

he would do the right thing and command Kitty to do it, first thing in the morning.

**Next Morning**

Lauren Ann "Laurie" Forman was sitting on the bus, quiet as all of the women seemed to

be. There were only 2 other women on the bus. _She didn't want to _room with her brother,

she wanted to stay on Aunt Pearl's farm, _but a girl never disobeyed her Daddy_. She

would get to keep her exempt from Harvest Day status, as they would still need her to

help Aunt Pearl out as the situation arose itself. Her blonde hair was curly and kept in a

short style. _She had opinions she just never voiced them_. She knew her mother secretly

despised her because she didn't settle down and did what young women were expected to

do, get married and have children, under the backdrop of living in the repressed Point

Place.

It wasn't easy being a woman in any part of the United States, but it was more stilted,

and even more repressed. Point Place was trying to keep its pulse on the modern conveniences

of life, while it clung to its past (and seemingly outdated) traditions. She knew she was

fooling herself thinking she was a young, decent looking female, she was older than her

brother, she was a Spinster. It wasn't her choice, she hated the label that was thrust upon

her, but she felt she was still helping her family out.

In reality, she was only following the orders put in place by her father. _She_

_wasn't doing what she really wanted to do,_ and she didn't even know what that was. You

weren't allowed to think of such things. There was too much work that always needed to

be done, you went to church on Sunday, and you did the same things that were expected

of you. Laurie wasn't one for crying, but for some reason when she heard the bus driver

announce that the next stop was "Point Place", she could feel the resentment rise up in

her throat and the tears form in the back of her defeated, for the moment, eyes.

**Forman Residence #2**

Kitty had to give up "Bible Collecting" with Jackie, which suited her just fine in order to

pick Laurie up from the bus depot. She didn't need to hear Jackie brag about Steven this

and Steven that or about how beautiful her clothes were.

Laurie wasn't surprised that her mother only gave her a small hug and peck on the cheek.

"Eric's at work. I'll need to give you the quick tour of his house."

Kitty was horrified that Laurie was wearing a simple light brown house dress and wasn't

wearing the proper white gloves when being out in public!

Kitty had to bake her special banana bread for Dr. Wilson and his family and really didn't

have time for this. Red was using the car so they had to walk the 5 blocks from the bus

depot to Eric's house. There was no key to be fumbled with, as the residents never

locked their doors.

"Oh my, this milk needs to be refrigerated immediately!" Kitty took the two glass milk

bottles off the porch. What was Mr. Peterson doing delivering milk to Eric Forman

today? She would have to let Red know about the infraction.

Laurie dropped her suitcase in the entryway, which caused Kitty to snicker,

"That can't stay there. You have a real home to keep now."

Laurie wanted to ask her if sisters were considered property of the brother, but she didn't

want to make her mother even more annoyed. Unfortunately, Laurie knew the real

answer, as spinster, she was Red's property.

After Kitty placed the milk in the refrigerator they walked up the stairs and Kitty led

Laurie to a small spare room that was in the back of the house. It didn't even contain a

window.

"What's that noise?"

"Oh, dear. The toilet be hummin' again. You better leave a message for Eric at his work,

see if he wants you to call Plumber Smith. You don't have time to get settled, there might

be a leak in there."

_Mom come up for damn air, will ya?_

"Donna," Laurie was surprised to hear Kitty say her name out loud, that was usually

taboo after the Ritual, "was sweet enough to make some sandwiches that Eric took for

lunch today, and I believe there's pot of stew in the refrigerator. That'll make your first

day easier."

"I think I can manage."

"I'll call you later after supper to see how you're doin'. Call Eric at Goodson's the

number is by the telephone. And you know Jackie and Steven are your neighbors.

Although, I wouldn't phone Jackie, she doesn't know how to live our kind of simple life.

I pray for her daily. I have to go and get started on my banana bread for Dr. Wilson and

his family. Take care, Laurie."

"Bye, Mom."

Laurie was glad that her mother was gone. She could've figured this all out by herself.

She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. There was nothing to drink, she

didn't want to touch the still room temperature milk.

She took a glass out of the cupboard and turned on the sink, and there was Jackie, not

realizing that Laurie was there, as she filled the metal ice-cube tray. When she noticed

Laurie she smiled and made the phone gesture with her fingers.

_Great._

The phone rang and she had to answer it.

"Hi, Laurie!"

"Hello, Jackie."

Laurie didn't think Jackie forgave her for kissing Michael under the sweetheart tree when

they were still dating each other before she fell for Steven. Laurie was bored there was

nothing to read in the newspaper that day and Michael Kelso was there, so they kissed.

No big deal.

"I'm glad you're living next store. I just wanted to welcome you. We're neighbors! I just

got back from the Bible Collecting, it was ever so exhausting. Do you want to join

me on the bus while I deliver Mr. Killeany his chicken dinner? I just came home,

because I want to change my clothes first."

"I'm sorry I'm going to miss that. I have to leave a message for Eric, there's a leak

upstairs."

"He never should've purchased used parts. Eric doesn't think like my Steven! Okay, I'll

see you later, Laurie. Good day to you."

"Bye."

Laurie felt she dodged a bullet there; spending time with Jackie was not her cup of tea.

She was tired, but knew what the consequences were if she didn't check the leak and

leave a message for Eric about calling the plumber.

Laurie ran up the stairs and opened the bathroom door. There already were towels

everywhere and a bucket under the sink, and because there wasn't a Donna to do these

chores anymore, she had to change the drenched towels and empty the full

bucket before calling Eric.

This was not where she wanted to be.

_It would've been nice to have a choice._

**Supper**

Laurie barely got a 'hi' out of Eric, let alone a 'thank you'.

He did "appreciate" the call, because he couldn't afford getting the plumbing fixed right now.

He didn't get to talk much to Steven today and there were a few things that he

wanted to discuss with him.

"Just so you know, Laurie, laundry gets done in the mornin'. See if Mom has some extra

towels for tomorrow."

Laurie hated working those wringer washing machines and she would bet that Eric would

have the worst, cheapest model known to mankind. He probably still had the kind that was

crank operated.

He was such a cheap bastard.

And the rest of the meal was spent in the usual quiet, until he asked her to start his bath

water. He could see Steven tomorrow in the morning.

Laurie couldn't wait to get back to Aunt Pearl's farm, the sooner the better.

**Hyde Residence**

**Next Day before work**

Jackie was in the kitchen washing the dishes _counting down the days until she could say _

_goodbye to Point Place forever_ when the doorbell rang. Steven said he would answer it.

"Hello, Steven."

"Come in, Eric."

"I would like to speak to you in private." He was carrying a sketchpad.

"Of course," he led him to his den and closed the door, "Sit down, Eric."

"I won't keep you because I know we both have to be at the plant. But I wanted to show

you a drawin' I made Sunday night."

Steven wasn't impressed at the slingshot until he noticed Goodson's Textile Plant written

on the side in fancy capital letters.

"Where are you goin' with this?"

Eric could have just brought this up at the next council meeting.

"We always have to think how can we improve Harvest Day, the most important day in

all of Point Place. My Dad, Mr. Kennedy, all of the old guys aren't the age they used to

be. These slingshots can be made right here in Point Place and with Goodson's name on

them, you can sell them for a tidy profit. There's also space down there, see?" Eric stood

up and pointed, "They can be made individually for an extra fee with the person's initials

on it. Sold to the menfolk only. But there's no harm in havin' the women folk make these

in their homes after their chores."

"Can I keep this?"

Steven liked this idea; he liked it a great deal.

"Sure. There's somethin' else I need to be askin' you before I go to the plant," Eric took

the simple gold plated wedding ring out of his trouser pocket.

"I'll give you," he took a small piece of paper and wrote a figure on it, "this much for it."

Eric looked at the paper, wishing he took Donna's ring; he still had time before the

funeral. "That's fair, Steven."

Steven figured when he got to St. Louis, he could go to a jeweler's shop and get more

than double than what he would be giving his best friend.

_It was a win-win._

"I'll talk to Mr. Ames tomorrow mornin'. I'll get the other ring too."

"You can add $10. to the original figure then. Try and find me the original boxes."

"Thank you."

"Here you take the ring back. When you get the other one, see me."

"Fair enough."

They sealed it with a handshake.

Steven thought of his future windfall and thought today was a good money making day

and he didn't even leave his house for work yet.

Eric had a good idea with the slingshot _and that idea was his property now._

Jackie stood at the front door with Steven's black metal lunch box in her hand.

"How did it go in there?" She asked knowing he couldn't tell her such things.

"Fine. Thank you for the lunch."

"I love you, Steven." Jackie kissed him on the cheek, who cared if their front door was

open.

"I love you, too, Jackie," he whispered, _but not as much as he loved the idea of becoming_

_one of the richest and most influential men in all of Point Place._

Eric was right when he told him that he was going to have start pulling back, but that

wouldn't be an issue for awhile yet he thought as kissed his wife on the cheek before

leaving the house for another grueling, yet financially gratifying day of work.

Who was it all really being done for?


	6. The Election of Steven Hyde

**Chapter 5**

**The Election of Steven Hyde**

**Following the events in chapter 4**

**Next council meeting **

**The Local Church**

Eric was livid and he couldn't voice his opinion when the reason why he was so angry

was because of a great many things, but one of the major reasons was that he was cross at

his best friend, since he was knee high to a grasshopper, Steven Hyde stabbed him

the back at the first council meeting after Harvest Day. Eric did not care about the

Christmas fund for the poor children, he did not care about how successful the picnic

was, great for his no-good mother that she could bake an apple pie. He only cared about

The Harvest Day Ritual itself. It was the only thing that kept him getting out of his cold

bed every morning. The vote for the male exemption clause was going to be held next week

at a special Saturday night council session because that was when the elusive R.M. II

would be in Point Place and he wanted to cast his vote in person. Eric had no doubt

that even the old die hards would realize it was important for Harvest Day to continue

if the men were taken off the ballot. It was as simple as that.

_Eric hated that Steven stole his idea_ for the addition of the slingshots to Harvest Day.

The slingshots that he thought his work company's name be on the side, the nominal fee

for the initials, that the women folk could make them on the cheap. (and to keep them in

their rightful place) But no, Steven stood there in front of all the men, including his

father, in his fancy suit, and acted like the whole thing was his idea! Eric knew he couldn't do

anything, because Steven was revered, the whole town loved him so. He remembered

when they were little boys and went to the swimming hole, all Steven liked to do was

pretend to fish while they daydreamed in a small boat. He was getting too big for his

britches. It was a good thing that he would be going to St. Louis for a while, because Eric

didn't know if he could take seeing his face everyday knowing that he stole _his idea._

_His idea. _

Red nudged Eric, "Are you payin' attention, son?"

"Of course."

"Then here," Red handed him a small stack of papers, "Take one and pass the rest."

Mayor Ralston was stepping down and there was a simple Yea or Nay vote to elect

Steven Hyde Mayor of Point Place, with the stipulation that he be allowed to reside in St.

Louis to help manage Goodson's new location, a new assistant manager would be chosen

by R.M. II and Steven Hyde in a special meeting in January so Steven would be returning

to Point Place a month before the February 20th, 1947 vote.

Eric looked at the ballot, you couldn't have 1 or 2 nay votes like you could for the

Harvest Day Ritual, although Eric did sometimes wonder who that 1 nay vote was when

_his wife _was chosen.

He took a deep breath, underneath it all, Steven was a good man, he took his wedding

rings off his hands and Eric was able to use that extra income to fix the plumbing. He

could have used that extra money from the sale of the slingshots or even the extra money for the

initials being added._ An acknowledgment would have been nice. It wasn't Steven's idea,_

_it was his._ Eric didn't have much in this world, a steady job and his stupid sister that kept

his house in order. He used to have his religion, but he wasn't getting comfort from his

Bible anymore. He went to church because everyone went to church, there was no getting

out of it. He didn't want to let his father down, he didn't want to let Steven down either.

He wasn't just his best friend; he was his boss as well. Let Steven take _his idea_ Eric

thought as he checked 'Yea' with his worn #2 pencil. He would over

look this for now. It would be February soon enough and then he'd get his way.

**Results of Steven Hyde to be interim mayor/out-of-state residence**

**(returning in January, year 1947)**

_**20 Yea. **_

_**0 Nay. **_

Before the meeting was adjourned, there was a motion that there would be no mention to

anyone that Steven Hyde would be returning to Point Place. Only that he was elected

in an emergency interim basis. Every man knew why and nothing needed to be stated.

They would all tell the men not in the council and their women folk at the time that they

deemed appropriate to do so.

**Next morning**

**Loudon's Grocery Store**

Jackie preferred the handheld cart versus the large push carts. It looked more dignified. She thanked, the

butcher, Mr. Lilley for the finest cut of steak; Steven said the money was getting even better and they could

have steak once a week. Plus, he was the interim Mayor temporarily stepping in for Mayor Ralston

it looked decadent for everyone to see Jackie buying steaks for dinner. They were the most important

couple in all of Point Place and quite possibly in their whole region in the state of Wisconsin.

"Hello, Laurie."

"Hi, Jackie."

This was the first time she saw Laurie since she came in town yesterday, seeing her

through the kitchen window was not the same as seeing her in person. She wasn't as

pretty as Jackie remembered. Her hair was short for a female and curly.

She didn't have white gloves on her hands when she went out in public!

"Dear, why are you wearing a housedress when you are out shopping? It's not exactly

ladylike."

"These are my farm clothes. Eric says money is tight, and what Aunt Pearl sent him was used to fix

the plumbin'."

Laurie didn't know about Eric selling his and Donna's wedding rings. Eric figured the 'extra

money' would go right into his savings account. Why should Red have it? Laurie belonged to him now.

"Maybe, I can see if Steven can add to my allowance and we'll take you to the salon. We can take you to

the dressmaker and get you a dress made and some little white gloves, they are simply a girl's best friend!"

"Jackie," Laurie whispered, "It's too bad about Donna…." She trailed off her words.

There was a part of her that didn't like Jackie, but at the same time,

she was like any of the housewives here, only her husband had more money.

"I don't know what you're getting at. It was done fair and square, and we simply

don't have to talk about it anymore."

Jackie remembered kissing the blue rock and giving it her best throw, she got Donna square in the eye;

it brought Donna to the ground where she allowed her fate to be sealed.

"No, I didn't mean it that way."

"Our crops are always good. Our milk gets delivered by Mr. Peterson, so we don't need a much of a dairy

department like the stores in Chicago do."

"There you are, Laurie," enter Mrs. Forman frantically without a shopping cart, "Hi, Jackie."

"Hi, Kitty."

Why did she always say 'Hi, Jackie' anymore like she was the town drunk?

"Laurie, you can't go into town without dress gloves!" Kitty pulled a pair out of her purse, but they weren't

white-on-white toned monogrammed JH like Jackie's were.

"Jackie and I were going to set a date and go shopping."

"Nonsense. Your father will buy you the things you need. Let's see what you bought, Eric so far. Let me do

the shoppin' for a month. Here's some money from your father, to buy a dress at Halverson's. You'll also

need to buy a formal one for church and church related activities."

"Thanks, Mom. Bye, Jackie."

"Bye, Laurie."

Before Jackie could say her goodbyes to Kitty and boast about how Steven was the interim Mayor, she was

already down aisle 1 to get the Corn Flakes that Eric liked.

Jackie decided that she would make an apple pie for dessert and it would be better than anything Kitty

Forman would have baked.

Steven was the (interim) Mayor! Jackie thought as she went to walk down all the aisles to make all of the

housewives jealous that she could wear a different dress for every day of the month and not repeat any of

them.

They would be leaving Point Place in style and Jackie for one, could not wait for that day to happen.

She couldn't wait to be a big city housewife, with Steven by her side, and their children it was all that she

needed, that, and an endless supply of clothes and accessories.

_Steven would always keep her safe. _


	7. It's Not Fair Part 2

**Chapter 6**

**It Wasn't Fair**

**Part Two**

**Towards the end of Summer**

**Forman Residence #1**

Kitty wanted to take one of her jam jars and throw it at Jackie's head. Here they were giving Jackie and

Steven "A goodbye, good luck in St. Louis" dinner and she had to flaunt _yet another _new dress from

Halverson's. It was navy blue with a pointed white collar and cuffs. Jackie said it was the _spectator_ look. She

even wore the matching pumps.

How wonderful was it that Steven was to be interim Mayor and how good it would look to his new employees

at the Goodson's location in St. Louis. How their house (sight unseen to Jackie) in was big and

opulent, pure white, with the Roman columns, like some of the estate houses in the South. Jackie used words

like _lush_ to describe the backyard where their children could roam and play, _manicured _when talking about

her garden,_ palatial _when describing the grand parlor where they could hold _soirees _for all of the important

folk in St. Louis.

They invited Eric and Laurie as well. Laurie was grateful that she didn't have to cook another meal for her

ungrateful brother. Who didn't seem to be interested in the dinner conversation. All Red wanted to do was sit

in the living room and put the radio on, have a drink, and listen to a baseball game* on the radio. It was only

Laurie that noticed the raised eyebrows between the men at certain points in the conversation.

"Would anyone like any more potatoes?" Kitty asked, wanting to crack, but knowing how important it was to

keep her happy façade going.

"I couldn't eat another bite. Thank you, Mrs. Forman." Steven said.

"What's for dessert?" Jackie asked

"Crumb cake."

"I grate actual cinnamon sticks and make my own powder."

"Good for you, Jackie," Kitty really did want to throw a jam jar at her head.

"I'll make sure you get a big piece, Daddy." Laurie said knowing that she may not like the order of things, but

she wasn't dumb like some of the women in the dining room.

"Thank you, Laurie." And now Kitty wanted to find another jam jar to throw at another head. It was her job

to take care of Red, not Laurie's.

The men made their exits so they could have an after dinner brandy before indulging in putting the radio on

for a ball game.

**Kitchen talk**

Jackie kept her mouth shut when Kitty put her to work washing the dishes. She was a guest in their home,

she shouldn't have to deal with dry skin because Kitty bought the cheap brand of dish soap.

"Do you have any dishwashing gloves?" Jackie asked with her best smile.

"No, I don't. That's an unnecessary expense." Kitty lied, she did have 2 pair of yellow dishwashing gloves,

but she kept them in the cabinet underneath the sink and she used them when she cleaned the bathroom.

She wasn't about to waste a pair on Jackie that would only be used once and then thrown away.

"I hope nothing happens to my ring." Jackie sighed.

_Yes, I know that you have a 24-K weddin' band and a fancy diamond, but you need to shut up, before I shut your _

_mouth up myself. _

Laurie found a quiet corner and worked on filling up the coffee pot. Neither or Jackie nor her mother had

any clue, any clue at all. There had to be an answer somewhere, but right now she couldn't keep the men,

especially her father, waiting.

**Living Room**

The men folk were enjoying their brandies as Red sat in his easy chair and Eric and Steven sat on the sofa.

"Do you have the directions I gave you, Steven?"

"Yes, Sir."

Red felt he should be the one to address Steven by 'Sir', he was the town Mayor after all.

"Good. Don't let Michael and the Foreign Kid take any wrong turns."

Red turned the radio on.

"The crops are comin' in mighty fine!" Red cupped his hand in Eric's knee.

Eric hated people touching him, but put up with Red, because he was his father.

"It's been a good summer." The wedding ring was off, Red having no idea that Eric sold them to Steven. Red

was encouraging Eric to find a new wife; Laurie would need to go back to the farm before the next Harvest,

but assured Eric that could Kitty could help out with the "women's work".

Jackie came in with the tray of Kitty's rather cinnamon less crumb cake as Laurie followed after her with the

coffee pot. Kitty held the tray with the serving plates, cups, and forks on it.

"Let me help you," Red said. "What happened to the bigger tray with the wheels on it?"

He got a good deal on at Halverson's, so why was it missing?

"Michael took it to sell apples for the kids and is chargin' Fez. .25 a day for the Harvest Day Picnic fund." Eric

said

"I'll overlook him not askin' permission then." Red replied as each woman prepared a slice of crumb cake and

coffee in Kitty's plain white cups for each man before washing their brandy glasses. Kitty was going to give

Jackie the honor of washing those, and even though Kitty didn't want to the girls would have small talk over

a game of Gin Rummy in the kitchen as to let the men enjoy their baseball game in peace.

**Next Day**

**Moving Day**

Michael and Fez were helping Steven load the truck; they were going to be driving behind them to St. Louis.

A black 1945 Chevrolet pick up. Jackie couldn't wait to see her children, it was a month later than expected,

but there were many late night council sessions that the women folk were not privy to. Steven gave her an

extra envelope with her monthly allowance so she could buy a new summer hat, the crops were growing, the

rain was steady, a_nd it solidified his decisions._ Jackie enjoyed the drive.

_A man does the best he can to support his family. _

"Steven, why did you not want to bring our furniture?" Jackie asked, putting on her lipstick.

"I was goin' to wait until we got to St. Louis, but it's been decided, we're goin' to _sublet _the house. The men

are telling the women folk durin' dinner tonight, so I suppose it's okay to tell you now since we just crossed

the city limits."

Steven beeped the horn on his 1943 Packard to indicate that Michael watch what he was doing. He could

see out of his rear view mirror. He shouldn't be eating doughnuts while he was driving.

"Sorry about that, doll. Where was I? We're sublettin' the house, we'll return back for The Harvest and some

changes were made to the Ritual itself."

"What's that?" She asked quietly, she had time to think of a plan; being out of Point Place would be easier to

achieve that.

"We need men to work in the factories, be called to serve if needed, and to work the fields."

Forman, Jr. brought up a good point at that meeting, just because they just got over World War II doesn't

mean another war wouldn't be on the horizon. _The men were not and could not be expendable commodities_

_anymore._

Jackie's tube of lipstick fell out of her hands, as she thought of the poem they taught her in elementary

school.

_To ensure a good harvest we need more than rain._

_We need to sacrifice a townsperson, not in vain_

"You mentioned changes, darling?"

Maybe an income statute was added. It was long overdue. Steven was an assistant supervisor at the

factory; they had a reputation to maintain. They apparently were going to have 2 houses. Steven was the

interim Mayor. He was going to train the workers at Goodson's St. Louis location, And, and! There was rumor

that her great, great, grandfather was the first of the Harvest Ritual, everything that was first was

celebrated! Or should be. It just couldn't be happening. They weren't leaving Point Place permanently?

_Why didn't her husband tell her? _

_Why did he have her believe that they were going to be gone for good?_

_Why, Steven? _

Didn't he realize that it could happen next Harvest Day, or the one after that, or the one after that, or maybe

it would never happen. Why take the risk? She was Mrs. Steven Hyde! She had frilly petticoats,

monogrammed white gloves, they had a garden AND a farm.

"Yes. The poem had to be amended."

_We need to sacrifice a towns woman, not in vein_

"Of course. That makes sense, but," she felt that panic rise in her throat, "but, Steven, _it's not fair._"

Steven Hyde chose not to reply, he preferred silence as he drove while a light smattering of summer rain

dotted his windshield.

The crops would be good this year indeed.

…_but it's NOT fair!_

**_*Author's Note: A small fact. The Milwaukee Brewers were established in 1969, and I didn't know if I _**

**_wanted to make Red a fan of the Chicago Cubs, so I'm leaving that for the reader to decide. And yes, _**

**_Eric is progressing into a darkness that will only have 1 conclusion. All of the men are quite dark, but _**

**_it is Eric, who is the worst. But Jackie is about to learn some truths about Steven. Stay tuned. Thanks _**

**_to all who have read and reviewed. I appreciate it.  
_**


	8. Christmas in St Louis

**Chapter 7**

**Christmas in St. Louis**

**December 20, 1946  
**

It was always in the back of her mind that Steven and herself would be returning to Point Place, but Jackie

tried to not think about those matters not until Friday the 20th of December reared its cold and frigid winter

head. She enjoyed St. Louis, she loved being able to experience the feeling of a quasi-freedom. Women

weren't viewed as "property", _but they were still expected to know their place_, to keep a beautiful home,

and rear the children. They could even vote in the local elections, which Jackie thought was amazing. Steven

seemed less stressful here. Work was work and he was a hard and solid worker, not afraid to be assistant

supervisor, but still able to roll up his sleeves and get dirty with the rest of the men. Jackie wondered where

her tortoise shell butterfly hair clips went, she couldn't find them anywhere. She would have afternoon tea

with Cousin Carla and there was something so independent about it. _She didn't want to leave_. Maybe, she

didn't have to. It would have been too obvious if they had more intimacy, and she didn't want to use her body

with her husband in a manipulative manner. The kids were staying the weekend at Carla's, they would all meet

up in church on Sunday.

There wasn't a secret local men's council, but Steven did have to stay late on

Friday's to make certain that everything would run smoothly when the plant re-opened on Monday. She

was starting to decorate the house for Christmas. All of their decorations were from one of the many boxes they

brought with them from Point Place.

She didn't like that some other family was in her house back home, but Steven was getting paid rent by

Mr. Potter. There was a beautiful cherry wood fireplace in the spacious parlor and she draped gold and silver

garland around it. The stockings were handmade by her, even though she had phoned Kitty Forman when she

had trouble in the beginning. They were all red with white tops and their names were sewn on them with

colorful red, green, and gold threads. There was a ceramic angel that guarded the center of the fireplace. She

couldn't wait for Christmas Eve when the children would be going with their father to get a blue spruce tree.

Jackie would prepare the homemade hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks to stir. The kids would help her bake

cookies for Santa. These same things happened in Point Place,_ but it all seemed so alive here._ There wouldn't be

an emergency council meeting called right in the middle of decorating the tree with popcorn garland and silver

tinsel, they wouldn't have that here.

Steven would pick up Sally to let her put the silver star (that would light up when you plugged it in) on top of the

tree. It was going to be a beautiful and magical night, as they'd wait for the kids to fall asleep while the both of

them put the presents out under the tree and the treats in the stocking, 1 orange, 1 small chocolate in the

shape of Santa, and what Steven felt was important was a small envelope (with a snowflake sticker) containing

$5. dollars each so they could deposit it in their own bank accounts. He gave both children the same amount of

money,_ which told Jackie, that deep down inside; Steven was not like the other men._

He couldn't want to leave all of this and go back to Point Place. Jackie was sure that R.M. II would let Steven

stay at the Goodson's St. Louis location permanently. Why did they have to go back? Why did they have to take

such unnecessary risks? Why couldn't they just be a happy, god-fearing family?

_It didn't have to change. _

She set the dining room table and put 2 long white tapered candles in their crystal holders. She would give

Steven the honor of lighting those. She was going to try as hard as she could. It wasn't about shopping (even

though the department stores (plural) were more grand than Halverson's). It was about the future of their

family, the Hyde Family. _It did matter where they lived_, and Jackie just wanted everyone to be together, and to

be away from Point Place.

She took the pork roast out of the oven so it would be cool for Steven to carve when he came home.

_He had to want to stay._

What was wrong with wanting something?

She poured the coffee into the cups when she heard Steven open the door. She didn't want to run into his

arms, _even though she wanted to do exactly that_ and thought she was a hypocrite because she repressed

_her _own urges.

Jackie had to treat this carefully, she heard him walk up the stairs to wash his hands. It seemed frivolous but

she loved the staircase, it wasn't a straight up and down model like all of the houses in Point Place, there was

a slight sway to it.

It was beautiful.

"Hi, Steven, welcome home." She kissed him on cheek.

He smelled like bath soap.

"Hi, Jackie."

"How was work?"

"Hard as always."

She handed him the electric knife so he could do the carving.

"You work so hard to support me and the kids. I really appreciate all that you do."

He let a small smile wash over his face.

"I would think that the men here respect you more than the workers in Point Place.

_Did you ever think _about staying on?"

Not her, but just him_, did he ever think? _

"Jackie, I have obligations. We both do, to return to Point Place in January. There is no

discussion to be had. We're goin' back."

The whir of the electric knife seemed to have cut through her and not the pork roast.

_Damn it. _

_She couldn't press the issue._

It was over they were going back, but at least the kids would be here.

"Okay. Steven would you like some gravy for your potatoes?"

"Of course."

Now she had to believe that deep within her being she would be spared when the men

on the council voted in February.

**Point Place**

**12:30 a.m. **

Eric Forman knew what had to be done and with Steven returning in January everything would go according

to his plan. He hated work. He hated church. He hated going to the barbershop. He even hated the council

meetings when they didn't pertain to Harvest Day. That was the heartbeat of the town. How could the rest of

the men be so lackadaisical about it?

_Eric thought he was the only one who knew how to fix the matter_.

Harvest Day needed a kick, the neighborhood needed to be in a tizzy, the women folk needed to be reminded

about who was boss. It was 12:30 a.m. when he went out for his walk. Laurie being allowed to go back to

Aunt Pearl's farm during the Harvest Season was complete and utter bullshit, she should be his property, not

Red's. His mother expected him to reheat the meals she prepared for him when Laurie was scheduled to leave

after the Christmas holidays. So instead of a freshly prepared hot meal when he came home from a tiring

day at the plant, he was going to have to put his plate on a cookie sheet and heat it in the oven like he wasn't

a man deserving of a fresh home cooked meal? He couldn't worry about that now as he calmly walked the

streets of his hometown.

_Nothing could ever change. _

_Nothing._

He took the small brown envelope that Mr. Stevens from the hardware store would put the screws, washers,

and other assorted small parts in out of his pocket and found the house in question. It was only 2 blocks away

and it was absolute perfection. He walked on the porch and understood why Point Place smartly relied on Police

services (which was rarely needed) from Kenosha or Osh Kosh, he couldn't have done this if there were any

nosy coppers around.

Eric positioned himself on his hands and knees and opened the envelope and sprinkled the

contents behind the dead floral bush.

_It was perfect._

Now all he had to do was arrange for himself and Red to be in the area and then the events for

Harvest Day 1947 would be set into motion. He crawled off the porch and stood back up. He would wait a

few days before talking to Red. It was almost Christmas; so maybe, _they could help deliver, yes yes, Kitty's mini _

_banana bread loaves to the neighbors. _

She bragged about these stupid things and everyone knew about her boasting. Eric smiled out of malice and

then allowed his facial muscles to go return to his natural sour state.

This coming Harvest Day was going to be the best one ever.

_Eric Forman was going to see to it. _


	9. Telephone Calls

**Chapter 8**

**Telephone Calls**

**December 24, 1946**

**Forman Residence #1**

What a surprising way to end the year Kitty thought as she picked up the phone after Red

and Eric returned from volunteering to deliver her mini banana bread loaves to the neighbors. She had so many

phone calls to make, Dr. Wilson's wife, Mrs. Loudon, Mrs. Lilley, Mrs. Kennedy, and everyone else from her little

yellow address book.

_This was perfect._

Kitty would always work hard to make sure she survived another year, but the

writing was going to be on the wall for 1947's Harvest Day vote while it was still 1946.

_You couldn't have blemishes like this in the community._

Eric and Laurie were invited to spend Christmas Eve with their parents so they could go to special Christmas

Day services at the church together.

Kitty wanted a tree, but the moment the kids were grown Red thought decorating was a stupid squandering of

time. _He allowed her _to hang her happy Christmas bells on the front door and the family stockings by the

fireplace, but that was it.

There was no sense in decorating when there were no little children in the house. Red was in his den with Eric

and Laurie was in her room, Kitty was enjoying her solitude in the kitchen as the latest batch of chocolate chip

cookies baked in the oven, they were Red's favorite, even if he was off Santa Claus duties, and had been for

years, he still wanted his chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of milk.

She smiled to herself as she picked up the phone. She decided to call the housewives of the

more prominent men first. All of the women should be able to rest easy. Between the new amendment that all

of the men were exempt on Harvest Day to the slingshots that were to be made by all of the housewives

starting in January, more work needed to be done and this news was just a blessing from the Lord above.

Every woman could work it to their advantage_, if they knew how. _And if not, too bad, Kitty thought, it wasn't

going to be her.

_It was NEVER going to be her._

God gave the women of Point Place a tremendous gift and Mrs. Red Forman was not about to waste it. "Waste

not, want not." was the advice her distant mother gave her, but it was still good advice, no matter who said it.

Kitty put her hand on her Bible; it gave her relief as if the Lord was smiling down on her. _She had something _

_important to do_. The timing was perfect as well. Christmas was on a Wednesday and the church services were

tomorrow as well as the regular Sunday sermons a few days later. The town folk were going to be buzzing over

the latest news like moths to the porch light. They would all leave extra early tomorrow to talk in little huddled

and whispered cliques before Father McDonald started the sermon. This was the best news that Kitty received

in a very long time, not since her sister Paula was chosen many moons ago. She was another boaster and Kitty

wasn't sorry to see her go. _She got what she deserved_. Every woman did. If Donna were truly pure, she'd still be

here today. Kitty picked up the telephone and dialed the Wilson's home phone number, she knew it by heart,

how many times were Laurie and Eric sick when they were kids? Kitty waited for the phone to ring as she

grabbed a #2 pencil that was sitting on the counter when Red was trying to figure out the cost of putting

another chair in the barbershop. He had 3 already, but there was room for a fourth. Kitty suggested that he get

rid of the pickle barrel. She thought all of those pickles swimming in that wretched liquid where hardly anyone

used the metal tongs to retrieve them (let alone use the bags she made out of wax paper) was

horrible.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mary, this is Kitty. I'm sorry to bother you on Christmas Eve, but have I got news

for you….."

Kitty loved hearing words like, r_eally, oh my, does he know? Guess you never know about_

_some people, how terrible._

_And most the most important point that everyone male and female would bring up, was _

_we can't have this kind of thing going on in our community. _

_We raise our children in Point Place. _

"Yes, it was terrible." Kitty placed a pencil check mark next to her name in the phone

directory, she had a few more calls to make.

"Oh my," Kitty exclaimed when she got off the phone. She put on her hot pad gloves

with the printed roosters on them and took out the baking sheet and placed it on top of the

stove. "Darn it."

That batch of burnt chocolate chip cookies were going straight in the garbage can, but

what was a few destroyed cookies? She would finish baking the rest of the cookies when she completed her

phone calls.

She was given the most excellent news pertaining to a person she couldn't stand.

_Life was good._

**Red's Den**

Eric finished the brandy his father poured for him as he gave Red the impression that he was the one handling

the situation. His mother was so stupid if she thought she was telling the other wives information they didn't

know, maybe some of them weren't aware, but Eric told the Widow Robertson, who was a few bricks short of a

house, on their way home today while his father was talking to one of the local businessmen who was buying a

red Schwinn for his son on Christmas morning. It was in Halverson's window. The Widow Robertson might have

been a little loopy, but she loved gossip about the town's folk _and that's what Eric was counting on._

"Eric, I need you to go away for a minute. I'll handle this."

"Sure, Dad. If you need anythin', I'll be in my old room."

_They were all pawns in his game and he loved every second of it._

He stood at the edge of the staircase and decided to eavesdrop on every precious word.

"Kitty, get off the line…I need to make a phone call….."

Eric sat on the wooden stairs.

_This was going to be good._

Eric rubbed his hands together and placed them on his knees.

"Hello, Steven. I'm sorry to phone you while you're in St. Louis. No, they're all good.

How are your kids? Good. I'm very sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, especially

durin' the holidays and all, but there is somethin' that came up that needs to

be brought to your attention…."

**St. Louis**

Jackie sat at the vanity. She loved this bedroom, it was bigger than their bedroom in Point Place. There was an

archway that led to these beautiful double doors that took you to an outside balcony. She wished that it were

summertime. How she wished it were the summer season. Her and Steven dancing outside underneath the

glow of the moon and the sparkling stars, her heart skipped a beat when Steven came in the room. Luckily, she

had her sleeping cap on so he wouldn't see her stiff pink curlers.

"Hi, Steven. I heard the phone ring is everything okay back home?"

"I just want to know how you could have done this to me, Jackie?"

She stood up and walked towards her husband, "What are you talking about?"

_"Everyone knows about your affair with Postman McConnell!"_

"WHAT?"

"Did I stutter, woman?"

"Steven, I did not have an affair with Postman McConnell or any other man….."

She went to reach for his hands, but he pushed them away.

"_Do you know the laughin' stock that I AM goin' to be when we return to Point Place?"_

He was the Assistant Supervisor at Goodson's. He was (the interim) Mayor until the

Elections.

_Steven Hyde did not need this embarrassment._

"It's not true. I love only you."

She couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

"Save your lies! You made a point of telling me about your tortoise butterfly hair clips

bein' lost in the move….they were found at McConnell's."

"Lower your voice, the children are sleeping."

"Maybe, they need to know that their mother is a whore."

She raised her hand to slap him across the face, but he grabbed her by the wrist.

"I don't think you want to do that."

"Let go, Steven, _you're _hurting me."

He pushed her arm down with a slight force. He went to his dresser and took out some

clothes.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm sleepin' in the guest room."

"Steven! We've never been apart…."

"It's so nice to get this news on Christmas. You better open that Bible of yours,

because you have a lot of prayin' to do."

She wiped her eyes, the tears were literally burning because of the rose cream she put on

her face just moments earlier.

"What about the kids presents?"

"I'll take care of all of it.. If you cared about those children, you wouldn't be such a

whore."

"Stop saying that! Steven, I love you! _I didn't _cheat on you!"

But her pleas fell on deaf ears as Steven took his pajamas, plus his clothes for tomorrow

with him and went to the guestroom. He could use the other main bathroom that was

upstairs.

Jackie fell on her knees, put her hands over her face, and continued to sob into the night.

How could Steven believe those horrible rumors?

And who would be callous enough to start such untruths?

**Forman Residence #1**

After Red finished his phone call with Steven. Eric walked quietly up the stairs,

very proud of himself for a job well done.

Although, he was in his legal right to have his Mom or Laurie start his bath water, he was

in such a good mood that he would do it himself tonight.

Plus, he wanted to lock the door and celebrate the occasion properly.

Eric Forman was never one to have a song in his head, but today on this rather joyous

occasion, he thought of a new song that he heard on his Father's radio in the barbershop.

_"As long as you love me so, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."_

_Life was good.  
_


	10. Whispers

**Chapter 9**

**The Whispers**

**aka Mr. and Mrs. Steven Hyde Return to Point Place**

**January 4, 1947**

Jackie was alone and not alone because her husband was at work. It was a Saturday night and she was still

expected to "keep house" and do the things _expected of a wife_. Steven hasn't slept with her since the night of

December 23rd. The phone call from Red Forman on Christmas Eve changed everything. He didn't talk to her, he

only issued her commands such as the buttons that needed mending on the shirt he wanted to wear at his first

day back at work in Point Place since they had left for St. Louis. Then he figured she had nothing better to do

than to repair four of his shirts. He probably ripped the buttons off out of spite. The whole situation was awful.

Their neighbors who pretended not to be looking were on their porches and were pointing and whispering

everyone believing, _no one disbelieving _that she had an affair with Mailman McConnell.

It was as if Steven wanted her to be humiliated as he wanted her to walk to the grocers by herself,

no one was concerned if "the brown person" should be out and about the city streets. The Potters left food in

the refrigerator during _"Steven's trying time."_

_Why?_

Jackie was right here. She was able to cook. Kitty wasn't on the porch when she walked by her house,

but she could see her frame in her parlor window spying and no doubt ready to run to

her telephone declaring that she saw "the town pariah" walking down the streets of Point Place. She almost

forgot to put on her little white gloves, but she didn't want to be hung from a tree if she didn't look like the

dutiful wife.

They didn't even need sugar and flour; _she could hear the giggling and whispering _as she walked

down the baking aisle for the damn sugar and flour. The only one who didn't seem to be giggling and whispering

as she showed her face in the town was Laurie Forman; her face suggested a pity, which was better than being

laughed at.

She was going to be out of Point Place during Harvest Season anyway, _so bless her for feeling pity_. Michael

was selling lollipops inside the store by the big gum ball machine when she was done buying items that were

not needed, because Steven felt like proving a point.

Jackie felt like she was being kicked in the stomach with no end in sight.

"Hi, Jackie," Michael tipped his hat, "Have a lollipop."

He gave her an orange sucker.

"Thank you."

Someone was actually nice to her and it was the man, her former boyfriend, _who her_

_husband didn't want her to talk to._ Oh, _THEY_ were _ALL _going to point and whisper and

call _THE MAYOR_ from their telephones to warn him of the faux salaciousness of it all.

He bent down to whisper in her ear, _yes, they were ALL going to TALK ABOUT HER._

_"I know you didn't have any affair."_

Jackie felt like she could start crying as Mrs. Wilson, the wife of Dr. Wilson, shook her

head as a teenage boy wearing a white smock and netted rectangular-pointed cap wheeled

her cart to her car for her to help her pack the groceries into the trunk.

"Thank _you_, Michael," She need to reach for a handkerchief and dot the corners of her eyes,

least her make-up smear, "Where's Fez?"

"Sleepin'. He's not feelin' well. You should leave, Jackie. See you later." Michael Kelso

didn't want his beautiful, could've been chiseled in marble face to meet the angry fist of

Mayor and all-around important town citizen Steven Hyde.

"Bye, Michael, and _thank you."_

She couldn't stop saying thank you; _Michael was the only person who believed that she_

_was innocent. It kind of made her day._

Jackie was surprised that Steven kept up his silence as he read his newspaper, while she

sewed the buttons on his dark green work shirt.

_You mean no one told you I talked to Michael at Loudon's store? _

_He whispered in my ear, I'm sure it looked guilty….._

"Get me a cup of coffee."

_Not would I? Even though it was a never a choice, he was always polite about it, not _

_anymore. _

When Jackie was in the safety of the kitchen she softly sighed, she put her hands on the

sides of the sink and there was Eric looking through the window. _There was something_

_about his face that made her increasingly uncomfortable. _He waved to her. She ignored

Eric and went to focus on what she was ordered to do and that was to pour her husband a

cup of coffee.

Someone was talking to her husband in the living room and she heard the door to his den

close and _he was never to be disturbed _when he was in there. She poured the coffee back into the pot and

figured she better start dinner, she was damned if she was going to reheat the Potter's beef stew. It was the

principle of it all.

_She knew it was about her. _

**15 minutes later**

Jackie put a piece of aluminum foil over her favorite yellow bowl, she figured she could make a decent meatloaf,

but she could feel her husband's presence in the kitchen.

"Did you want your coffee, Steven? I didn't want to disturb you when I heard the door to your den close."

"How considerate of _you_."

"Steven, what am I supposed to do ignore the people who talk to me? It's not very polite."

"I'm glad I have friends in the community _who look up and are concerned about ME_. Laurie told Eric that you

were conversin' with Michael."

"That's a crime now?"

So that's why Eric waved to her from the window, he had to tell his best friend Steven about _the spectacle_ that

Laurie saw at the grocers.

"It is when he is your former boyfriend!"

"I'm NOT going to have an affair with Michael, just like I did NOT have an affair with Mailman McConnell._ Why_

_won't you believe me?_"

"It's been a mild winter*. I'd like to know how your hair clips wound up on his property."

It was a very good thing that Eric dropped his Roosevelt Dime or he never would found Jackie's hair clips behind

the lifeless floral bush.

"I don't know. I really don't know."

She tried her best to not cry.

"Here's what I know. Mr. and Mrs. Forman invited ME to dinner, _so I don't have to be in the same room as you_.

You're goin' to finish my shirts a_nd I don't want to hear another peep out of you today_."

Jackie felt like she was kicked in the stomach. _Why didn't the man she loved the most in this world not believe_

_her?_ She let the tears fall out of her eyes and decided she better finish the meatloaf she could make sandwiches

for Steven's lunch tomorrow. He'd never want good food go to waste.

Jackie looked up; she slightly jumped when she saw Eric in the window waving at her again.

**Forman Residence #1**

Kitty had to hide her delight when in Mayor Steven Hyde's presence. She made a lemon

roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, with her homemade gravy, candied carrots, and for dessert was her crumb

cake, the one that Jackie scoffed at awhile back. It was only herself, Red, and Steven.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Steven said to the both of them.

"There's no need." Red said

"We're happy to help you during _your tryin' time_. When you gentlemen go in the parlor. I'll get your dessert

ready. I know you like my crumb cake, Steven, I used extra butter."

He smiled.

_Mrs. Forman was everything a woman should be._

**Hyde Residence**

The phone rang for the sixth time and each time, someone would hang up. Jackie knew she had to answer it

because if it was Steven and she didn't pick up, he would never forgive her.

Supper was awful. She ate a small bowl of canned chicken noodle soup and forced half a cup of

coffee down and that was when she didn't have to get up and answer the phone.

"Hello? Who is this?"

She could hear a crinkling noise so as the bottom of the receiver was covered to disguise their voice.

"Does someone have something to say to me?"

The muffled voice said what she partly expected to hear, _"you are a whore….."_

"W-who is this?"

They hung up. Jackie put her fingers through her hair. She wished she could tell Steven, so he could make it

right, _but if she told him he'd probably just agree with the assessment._

There was nothing left to do, but wash the dishes and finish the mending of her husband's

shirts in an uncomfortable empty house.

**Author's Note: I don't know what the weather was in January of 1947, but for the sake of plot, there was **

**no measurable snow.**


	11. February 20, 1947

**Chapter 10**

**February 20, 1947 (title of chapter as well as current date)  
**

Jackie had a lot to do today and no time to get everything done. She had to wash the breakfast dishes, mend

the clothes that were in her wicker basket, dust the furniture, thaw out the meat for supper, and maybe, just for

her, organize the contents of her closet. There were no more once-a-month Canasta games, no other women

folk could be seen hanging out with her_, it was okay; _it would have to come to a pass. She would eat her lunch

and maybe, not because anyone told her to, she'd read her quotes in the Bible.

One of Jackie's favorites was,

_I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me._

_- Song of Solomon 7:10_

Steven did give her a small kiss on the cheek, and she treasured it for the whole morning. He still slept in the

guest room. She was surprised that he didn't make her sleep there, but she wouldn't question the 'why's'. They

would get better,_ it would be okay_, someday she would feel his strong arms wrap around her body again, his

lips on hers, and they would make wonderful love to each other. They would go to St. Louis, they'd see their

children again, and maybe, just maybe, Steven would want to stay there. He didn't need Point Place and it's

archaic traditions.

She was down the last bit of Bluebird* dish soap, she didn't like going to the grocers unless she had to. Steven

stopped giving her an "extra allowance" and she wasn't able to get her hair done as often. Every dismissal was

a new hurt, _which was why the kiss on the cheek on that morning, surprised her to core_. Steven told her she

was needed home and it was Kitty Forman — Kitty Forman! who gathered and took the eggs to sell at Loudon's,

with Mrs. Kennedy walking with her.

Kitty never came in to say "hello" or waved when Jackie looked out the window of the back door. _The whispering_

that started in December before they returned to Point Place _was still going on in February_. The only time she

received a "creepy phone call" was once in a great while, usually when Steven was at work. They didn't last

very long and the muffled voice liked to remind her that "she was a whore."

With the dishes done, she would let them air dry before putting them away, she decided to focus on her sewing.

She could take pride in her work, _Steven still trusted her with these homebound tasks_. Jackie opened up her

sewing basket and tried threading the needle with beige thread to match the first shirt from Steven's pile._ Her_

_hand's shook and she wasn't quite sure why._ She took a deep breath and focused on threading the needle, not

realizing because her husband had many important titles and positions in the community (and to the secret glee

of one Eric Forman) things were a little bit different this year.

She thought of a lunch she could make herself, she hadn't had much of an appetite since her life

was shattered on Christmas Eve, but Jackie did want to keep her strength up. _All she_

_wanted to do was see her children_, her precious children that did not ask to be born. She wanted to hug, kiss,

and shelter them, she supposed her and husband did the latter part quite well. Jackie grabbed her small sewing

scissors and cut the thread. She did a good job on that shirt considering her hands were shaking like a leaf.

Jackie heard the mail being dropped in the box and her body instantly froze, she was frightened to even

breathe, _no one questioned Mailman McConnell's morals_, he and his wife went about their business in the town

as they did before the false rumor about Jackie's affair with him started.

_How convenient for him. _

She would not get the mail out of the box for an hour, lest she be seen outside _"makin' eyes at the Postman"_.

The telephone rang and there was no choice, but to answer it.

Jackie walked to the kitchen in slow steps as she picked up the phone _she noticed her hands trembling again._

"Hello?"

"It's me."

"Hi, Steven."

"I'm just callin' to let you know that you can go shoppin' and get your hair done…in May."

"Wh—"

_Then it hit her._

"_You've been chosen for Harvest Day_. I'll be home a bit later than usual, have supper ready. Goodbye."

It was no surprise, yet it was the biggest surprise. _How different from last year, when she was so happy, so_

_alive, and in love with her husband._

Of course she was chosen, _they had to make an example out of the town whore._

Why did he kiss her on the cheek then? It was the first time in months that, that was the only intimate touch

between them and for what?

_For what?_

Jackie realized she still had the receiver in her hand so she hung up the telephone.

She went back to her mundane work still in a state of shock that this could be happening to her.

After a lunch of toast that she could barely eat, she decided to go upstairs. She stood over her vanity and

picked up her own Bible that was next to her lotions and potions.

Jackie felt the tears come once more, when she opened the book, she noticed that the blue

ribbon marker was moved to section that she did not pick, it was chosen for her.

_Proverbs 12:4_

_A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in _

_his bones._

She let the book fall out of her hands as it bounced off the bed and fell to the floor on their circular sky blue

throw rug. Jackie supposed the whole town was going to have _even MORE to talk about _where she was

concerned. She ran out of her room, hid in the spacious upstairs linen closet, and sobbed uncontrollably until it

was time to make Steven's supper.

_It was over. _

_But Jackie's love for her husband would never die. _

**Author's Note: Small detail again. I made up the name of Bluebird dish soap because it **

**sounded like a brand name from that era.**


	12. 0 Nay

**Chapter 11**

**0 Nay**

Jackie put on her brave face as she washed the dishes, she was alone, she could go back to what she did when

she first and got the news and that was to run in the bathroom, close the door, and cry. She tried to keep her

hysterics on the inside. All she wanted to do was see her children one last time, her beautiful children. She

never really got to enjoy them as they were always shipped to Carla's house, but she was grateful for that in so

many ways. She wasn't going to be able to share cosmetics and buy clothes with Sally or tell Jimmy to always be

a gentleman. Jackie just concentrated on washing the dishes. It would all be over soon and that would be that.

_If you know you are the Queen, but have to face the guillotine, you did so with grace and dignity._

After all, you were still the Queen, _even if you needed to be punished_. She didn't hear her front door open, and

the quick, quiet, steps of a young man who was becoming more unraveled as the months played on. She turned

off the water and felt two cold hands reach from her from behind, and then the one hand briefly covered her

mouth so she wouldn't scream.

"Ssh," he said, kissing her neck hard, "It's only me."

"Er—Eric?"

He wouldn't let her go. Should she scream? Should she fight back? It didn't matter. In a

few months she was going to be dead anyway. What was the point?

"C'mon. I know you like it dirty," he found the zipper of her dress and pulled it down just

far enough to hear her gasp, to him it was the most beautiful sound. He put his hand in the back

of her bra, trying to undo the clasp.

She kept looking at the ceiling as her bra was being undone and she felt the air on her

exposed breasts. He turned her around so she they would be facing each other as he went

down on her chest. His kisses were not wanted, he was so slimy, so rough, and Jackie felt

she could throw up all over him the moment his tongue started to lick her in places that

were none of his business.

She was so frightened. She needed do something, but was too afraid to move.

"S-Steven, is going to be home any minute."

"No, he's not, but if you want to talk about Steven lets do that."

"pl-e—ase."

Eric swiftly pushed her off him, he loved the effect of her body falling backwards into the

refrigerator.

"Why don't you fix your dress — _you look like a darn whore_…and we all know, you

cheated with the Mailman McConnell."

"I didn't," she replied quietly, "Not that it's any of your business."

"Would you be so kind as to make me a cup of coffee? I have somethin' to show you that

I know you'd like to see."

Whatever made him "chicken out" of assaulting her, she was just grateful that his

unwelcome hands were off her body.

Was it just the mere mention of Steven's name that made him stop?

Why didn't she just kick him? She was already in hot water with her husband and Eric

(plus the whole town knew it) and that's probably why she was the chosen one for this

year's Harvest Day. She didn't want this visit from Eric to get back to her husband; he

already believed the lies spread about her. Someone stole her butterfly hair clips that's

why she couldn't find them when she was in St. Louis, and they made it seem like her

and the Mailman had a tryst while Steven worked hard to support her and the children at

the plant.

_It wasn't true. _

So ironic as it was after she fixed herself Jackie did the neighborly thing and made Eric a

cup of coffee, maybe he would drink it and then go away.

"What did you want to show me?" And she hoped it wasn't anything to do with his

person.

She stayed seated at the kitchen table.

"I get what I want Jackie and what I wanted was to see the ballots from last week and you

should see them too."

"What are you trying to prove? I already know - I did get the phone call from my

husband, so it's not like you're telling me anything new."

Eric walked into the living room to get the manila envelope he dropped on

the end table on top of Steven's Bible. He returned to the kitchen with a smug

look over his creepy face.

"Oh, but I am," he handed her the folder, "Go ahead and look." He seemed to be

delighted over the contents of the envelope. It was all 20 ballots. Something that the

women folk never got to see.

**Yea**

**Yea**

**Yea**

**Yea**

And all of the #2 pencils were the same, except for the shiny lead of the retractable lead

pencil that also had a checkmark in the Yea column.

**20 Yea.**

**0 Nay.**

_Steven voted for her to be the chosen one on Harvest Day_. Jackie felt the panic and the

vomit ascend up again in her throat, but _she wasn't about to give the despicable Eric_

_Forman the satisfaction of being anything, but a regal Queen._

"I think I figured it out. Is that all, Eric?"

"I don't know," he stood up, making sure the papers were neatly stacked and put back in

the envelope so he could return them to Father McDonald's locked cabinet before he

noticed that they were missing. He kneeled down, "I'd really like to see what is up this

skirt," he put his hand on her ankle and Jackie found the will to smack it away.

The risk of being caught by Father McDonald with the private ballots outweighed

fooling around with Jackie.

"Maybe, we'll play later." He sneered at her, "Thank you for the coffee. You never know,

I just might be back…..I live next store."

He was a complete pig.

"Next time, darlin' you better watch, where you leave your fancy hair clips."

_It was Eric!_

_He was the one behind those creepy phone calls too!  
_

He was the one responsible for stealing her hair clips and planting them on Postman

McConnell's property, who denied having the affair when he talked to Steven in private,

but the public damage was already done. Jackie was guilty in the court of public opinion,

and no one whispered salaciously about the man, only the woman.

That's how it always was.

Then suddenly weeks later when the men folk voted in February, it was

apparently a unanimous decision to make her the chosen one.

Some of the men used slingshots now, the slingshots that the women made, even herself.

Would Steven? He wouldn't, he would just stand and watch, he wouldn't…he just

wouldn't, but then again she saw shades of him that she didn't know existed.

She walked Eric out of the house and watched him from the living room window to make

sure he really did leave. It was only then that she allowed herself to run to the bathroom

and throw up. His hands were so cold and slippery. Despite the state of her marriage and

the pending end of her young life, she just wanted her husband to walk through the door.

She wanted to see Steven's gorgeous blue eyes.

He was such a powerful man, couldn't he stop it?

She just wanted to see her beautiful children one last time and she wasn't going to be

afraid to ask him.

_Steven had to vote Yea_, because there was a lot of pressure placed against him, being the

town Mayor and assistant supervisor at Goodson's. He would take care of the children's

financial needs, but Jackie wished that they just could've stayed in St. Louis. Why was he

drawn to Point Place? It didn't matter as she wiped her face with a cool washcloth. She

heard a noise and thought Eric was coming back to torment her, but it was just the wind.

Steven would be back from his business trip by 4 p.m., all she had to do until it was time,

was to keep herself occupied, just like that day in February, she kept busy until the phone

rang and reminded her of the grim realities of living in Point Place. She decided to go

back downstairs and get the roast chicken started on low heat, and by the team Steven

came home, he would have his hot meal ready and waiting for him, as she sat quietly and

didn't fight the status quo.

_It was her turn; she just had to accept it. _

_She was a regal Queen and she was going to live the rest of her days that way. _


	13. Long Live the Queen

**Chapter 12**

**Long Live the Queen**

**Harvest Day 1947**

The auto plant was coming to Point Place, the local council couldn't halt the progress, RM II the boss at the

textile plant was going to transfer over to that company, so Steven Hyde would be the Head Supervisor at

Goodson's. It was Harvest Day some of the local children were carrying blue and green painted stones behind

the car. Jackie preferred her prayer with Father McDonald to be at the Church. She was surprised last week

when Steven agreed to her leaving the children her Bible. She was even more surprised when she was able to

have one last visit with her them.

Steven loved being here for Harvest Day. The budget allowed for a motorcade, Steven Hyde was still the

(interim) Mayor of Point Place after all, until the elections. Jackie in her new blue dress waved, as her

white-gloved hand clutched her pearls. She didn't think that would be wise and she took the necklace off and

gave it to her husband. They could have a bad Harvest, the factories could close, he could lose his investments,

and then they would have nothing to leave their children.

There was a debate in the council. Should wives of politicians be exempt? There was already the over 18 rule

(added in 1922), the senior citizens were complaining, Mr. Jones said he had to drive his blind sister around so

they shouldn't be on the ballot.

"If we keep up with the exemptions no woman would be left!"

It was done all fair and square, just like it always had been. There was no reason to politicize Harvest Day, _and_

_besides as Eric advised, let's not forget the shame Jackie put upon the whole town by having_

_an affair with Mailman McConnell._

The children were laughing and she couldn't help but notice Mrs. Red Forman, Kitty, throwing the confetti that

was usually reserved for the children. _She doubted very much it was to wish for a good harvest._

There was talk that this would be the last year for the tradition. Mr. Kennedy wanted to

go to Florida to retire, and Mr. Killeany was only there to clean up after it was all over.

The older men were starting to get tired and the younger people lacked direction.

_Eric vowed that Harvest Day would NEVER stop._

Red added at the last council meeting that the only time that mattered was the here and the now

and they owed it to the townspeople to make this year's Harvest Day the best.

In the midst of it all, Jackie allowed herself one quick parting dream.

**Swimming Hole**

**Year Unknown**

The sun was big and bright when four of the town's youth decided to skip Harvest Day.

The two young girls, one redhead, and one brunette stood on top of a hill behind the sweetheart tree. Their hair

was long and down to their shoulders. The brunette could not stop giggling. They were having a double date

picnic with their boyfriends. They were still in high school, girls were allowed to not complete school at 16

if they were getting married.

"Donna, I think Steven is going to ask me to go steady!" Jackie couldn't contain herself.

"How wonderful for you, Jackie. Eric is the most kind boy, he picked me flowers this mornin'.

My Dad didn't like it, but Mom put them in a vase for me in my room."

"We're going to be married to the most handsome men in all of Point Place."

"Jackie, you always have a flair for thinkin' ahead. Let's go set up our picnic for the boys. I wonder if they're

catchin' any fish?"

Steven couldn't stop laughing when he and Eric returned from an ill-fated attempt at fishing; Eric fell off the boat

and was drenched. Jackie, who was always prepared, gave Donna an extra plush white towel.

_You had to take care of your husband — or the young man you wanted to be your future husband._

"What happened to you, Eric?"

"Ain't it obvious? He fell in!" Steven laughed, sitting down next to Jackie. She prepared a marvelous lunch, he

doubted that Donna's for Eric was as good. He couldn't wait for school to be over, thanks to Red Forman's

guidance; he knew what he wanted to do, or at least who he wanted to be, a butter and egg man, the man

with the bankroll.

"Ha ha, very funny." Eric didn't find it amusing.

"Eric, you are off the cob."

Their adult labels were being clearly defined.

"Steven, I made you roast beef sandwiches, and I got the pickles from Mr. Forman's

barbershop."

Plus Mr. Loudon thought she was adorable and gave her free soda-pop and a bag of potato chips, of course, it

was all billed to Jack Burkhart's account, but the pretty girl didn't have to know about such grown up matters.

Jackie made the roast beef all by herself; she didn't need anyone's help in securing the deal with Steven.

Because it was a double date the men didn't take any liberties, Jackie couldn't wait for the walk home with

Steven holding her hand and stealing kisses. As long as she stayed pure, he might do her the honor of asking

her father for her hand in marriage before the end of high school, which was an honor to every young girl in

Point Place! It meant that you had a man to protect you until your dying day. _Sure, there was that imperfection_

_on the town, but that only happened once a year, plus it was a tradition._

Jackie and Donna cleaned up the picnic lunch as the boys prepared to fish one last time.

"I cannot wait to be Mrs. Steven Hyde!"

"Jackie," Donna put a finger to her own lips, "You'll jinx it!"

They could hear the screams and laughter in the distance as another Harvest Day reached its apex. Jackie

focused on the knowledge that the scent of fried chicken would be in the air in a few moments. She knew the

boys were still hungry and Steven did mention that he was in the mood for a slice of Mrs. Forman's award

winning apple pie.

"No, I won't," she folded the red and white check table cloth as neatly as she did when her mother let her

borrow it, "You'll see. We're all going to be happily married to the men we love!"

_At least she hoped so. _

**~ End Flashback**

_It was tradition._

"_It's really not fair_," Jackie whispered, noticing the driver, Mr. Peterson from the grocery store, shaking his head,

this one was quite lippy.

The car came to a stop and Steven, who was going to be the proud owner of a red Hewson Rocket next month,

stepped out and opened the door for his wife and helped her out of the car.

"_I didn't cheat on you, Steven, and no matter what, I will always love you."_

Jackie whispered and quickly kissed him on the lips.

Red didn't like the addition of the marching band being added, if only Laurie wasn't an old spinster he'd have set

her up with Steven. He was going to need a new wife. Eric wasn't even looking. Kitty was going to help Steven

with the cooking and cleaning until they could find a more permanent solution.

Eric stood next to his friend carrying a brown paper bag, "Friday, I'll buy you a drink, but today we have to

ensure a good Harvest." He took a rock out of his bag, it wasn't painted, but it would have to do. "Come on,

Steven," Eric took the other rock out of the bag and handed it to his childhood friend, "I'll race you to the field!

Last one there is a rotten egg!"

Bachelor Michael dropped his painted stone to the ground and stood in the background to make sure that Fez

wasn't stealing the profits he made from the sale of the painted rocks.

The last conscious thought Mrs. Steven Hyde had was the little poem everyone knew about

Harvest Day, but amended for these modern times.

_To ensure a good harvest we need more than rain._

_We need to sacrifice a town's woman, not in vein_

The men were dispersing and Eric was the only man around overlooking what he thought was

her most beautiful dead body, before his mind could flicker to next year, he had one thing left

to do.

He kneeled down,_ remorse was for hypocrites, _and he took out a stone that he kept in his pocket. The tall

grass hiding him from the locals view, they were all focused on the fried chicken picnic.

"Maybe now," he forced her mouth open and jammed the rock in, who cared if he knocked out two of her teeth

in the process, "You'll just shut up. _Just shut up, you bitch."_

Eric made sure it was lodged in real good like when a whole pig is roasted over an open

fire pit, with an apple in its mouth.

_Harvest Day was going to end over his dead body. _

He stood up and was slightly taken a back when he saw a little boy who

watched over his whole spectacle.

"Here kid, you can have my slingshot." Which really was Mr. Kennedy's.

"Thanks, Sir!" and the boy ran off with this new treasure.

It was near the picnic area where another local little boy pushed a local little girl in the mud, ruining her white

Sunday dress.

"Pretend to die, just like the Moms!" as he pelted her with tiny pebbles, while the adults in eyesight did not

even raise a collective eyebrow over the spectacle.

The Widow Thompson offered to take the girl home she had a dress that would fit her from when her

granddaughter came to visit. The little boy sat with the other town's children at the small picnic tables and ate

their crispy fried chicken drumsticks.

Steven lit a cigarette; he always seemed to start smoking around the Harvest and stopped sometime around in

September.

"The kids are cheerin'! Looks like the ambulance is leavin'." Eric said

Another Harvest Day come and gone.

"We should have a good Harvest, right amount of rain."

"Dad was thinking of goin' fishing next Sunday, would you like to come with us?"

"That sounds good. A man needs to relax."

Point Place was half rural and half industrial. _The older folk didn't like the changes_. They were being swallowed

up by the bigger cities.

It was only a matter of time before local quaint activities such as Harvest Day fell off by the wayside.

"You guys have to come quick," Michael came by, _pretending that the events of a half hour ago did not happen_,

holding a chicken leg, "Fez fell in the lake!"

He ran off.

"I think the kid's can stay with Spinster Carla."

"That's good for you."

Eric only cared about Harvest Day 1948.

"Do you think we'll keep our traditions? Some of the folks from the auto plant didn't show up for Harvest Day.

They be talkin' about us in their newspapers back home."

"I can't answer that, Steven."

"Here you go, boys!" Mrs. Forman came by with Halverson's china filled with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and

a little ear of corn. The drinks were now served in metal tin cups after Little Ernie Bakewell broke one last year

when someone on the council thought it would be a good idea to use the Halverson china and crystal for the

children's lunch with Santa. There were rumblings at the council meeting that followed it, and the ever-present

statement that Harvest Day would never happen again, but the parents paid the damages and it was forgotten.

"Your Dad mentioned the next Harvest Day picnic lunch might be on paper plates."

"Didn't want to add to your Mayoral duties."

"All these changes, it's a shame. _A shame._" Steven said, stirring his mashed potatoes, at least the fork was

metal. And the china was the same.

_This year. _

Red stopped by to see how Steven was doing.

"It's tradition," he took a deep breath, _it was fair_, "I'm sure we'll get a damn good rain for the crops."

"'Atta boy." He tapped him on the shoulder.

When Steven went in his pocket to search for his Granddaddy's pocket watch, he felt the string of pearls that

belonged to his wife. He pulled them out and quickly placed them back in his pocket lest any of the young of-age

ladies saw it and think it was bait.

He was going to deliver Mr. Killeany his plate of fried chicken himself, the townsfolk would balk that that wasn't a

Mayor's duty, but the funeral would be before the first planting, another event that was getting hijacked by the

local industries and people changing the order of how things were always done, he had enough money, selling

the necklace wouldn't be necessary.

"Look at the them clouds, Steven. I think we're gettin' our rain early. Better help the women folk. See you at

work tomorrow."

"Tell your Mom I'll take the chicken to Killeany's."

"Mayor Hyde, Hello." It was the Widow Pam Macy, the loose girl they went to school with. Time was not kind to

her crater ravaged face, "Marryin' age be 16. My daughter made an apple pie for you."

"Leave it with Mrs. Forman."

Dollar signs in her eyes and all, Steven silently chuckled when he saw Pam and her damaged face, introduce her

of-age daughter to Eric who was helping Red. The women folk were scattering around like cockroaches after the

light was turned on.

_The rains were coming! _

Early rain was a very good sign for the coming harvest. Mrs. Forman had a plate for Coroner Killeany off to the

side and waved to Steven.

_She seemed too cheerful today_.

The men folk would be going to the Halverson Mansion, while the women folk would be walking to their

husband's cars, talking about what good Harvest Day it was, and how they couldn't wait for next year. Some

would ask would there even be a Harvest Day next year? Steven noticed many women standing around their

husband's cars and not waiting obediently in them for their spouses to return.

Mrs. Forman was in Red's DeSoto. Steven heard her say this was the best Harvest Day she had ever been to

since she was a little girl.

_Everything was honest and above board. _

There was a taxi waiting for him when he got to the row of cars, Michael was the driver and Fez sat in the

passenger side.

"Where to, my friend, Mr. Mayor?" Fez asked, even though Michael was driving.

"Killeany's. Man be deservin' his fried chicken."

The part about the pearls was not the foreigner's business — _or the driver's for that matter_.

Today, like all Harvest Days, ensured a good harvest and by the looks of raindrops falling out of the clouds,

plenty of rain.

_They weren't doing anything wrong._

_It was fair. _

_It was fair._

_It was fair?_

_She said she didn't sleep with Postman McConnell..?_

When Steven got back from Killeany's, he was going to have to see Red Forman, he had a proposition for the

older man and he hoped that he would accept it.

He would make him a good offer.

_The rest was in God's gentle hands._

**Author's Note: I wasn't pleased with how this chapter came out. I originally started this as a one-shot, but **

**it was getting too long, and that's when I decided to make this a multi chaptered story. This was the part **

**where the story was supposed to end, and then I thought of a better way to finish it off. So, if this seems **

**disjointed, I'm sorry about that. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed.**

**And yes, Eric will be getting his comeuppance in the second to last chapter.  
**


	14. Eric Takes a Wife

**Chapter 13**

**Eric Takes a Wife**

**Not long after the events in Chapter 12**

Why not take the sixteen-year-old virginal Beth off of that former whore Pam Macy's hands? Since Mayor Steven

Hyde (still interim, how that internally bugged Eric Forman so!) didn't want another wife so soon, Eric was sick

and tired of Laurie being allowed to leave for Aunt Pearl's farm during the Harvest that it just made economic

sense to have a wife. So without telling his Father, Eric and Beth Macy were wed by Father McDonald, with one

of the councilmen as a witness, in the middle of the night 5 days after Harvest Day. It would have been sooner,

but there was that stupid funeral for a bitch that he had to attend. She could sleep in the small guest room,

because he didn't want to share a bed with anyone. Eric was going to have see Mr. Stevens at the hardware

store during his lunch break and get some much-needed supplies. His thoughts were on Harvest Day 1948, he

noticed some of the men (on the council no less!) always seemed to want to discuss other matters first. Was

discussing whether or not adding another traffic light really necessary when there were other more important

issues at hand? He was very disappointed that only a few of the men used their slingshots.

_It was done for them to make the Ritual easier for them. _

_For their benefit! _

It seemed to Eric that he was going to have to be the one to make sure that Harvest Day kept going. If it

weren't for the fact of getting paid, he would have quit his job at Goodson's ages ago. Steven was certainly

having a lot of closed-door conversations with Red lately; Eric wondered what was that about? _It better not_

_have anything to do with Point Places most valued tradition._ When the lunch whistle blew, Eric took his paper

bag lunch, metal lunch boxes were too expensive and not a necessary item to him, and headed to the hardware

store. He should've done this sooner, but it was his own fault. He was too busy thinking about next February's

ballot and what wench could be erased from the town population? Eric noticed Steven leaving his Father's

barbershop as they shook hands once more in the doorway. What was that about? Eric would have ran down

there and questioned Red with the intensity of _having the right to know_, but he had to get to Mr. Steven's

hardware store and buy 2 nails and a metal door hook. He had the hammer, but he was lazy in keeping up with

the basic garage supplies that Red always seemed to have on hand.

Eric sighed inward as he saw the banner he never really noticed before.

It was a cartoon figure of a business man with a briefcase in one hand and a toolbox in

the other.

_Even Mayor Steven Hyde Shops at Steven's Hardware. _

This is what they talk about at the council meetings instead of matters pertaining to Harvest Day. Eric tried not

to think about that, he only had 40 minutes, he had to buy the items he needed, eat his lunch, and then go back

to work, while the interim Mayor and now full-fledged Supervisor at Goodson's could come and go as he

pleased. It must be nice. Eric would have asked if he could leave 15 minutes early, as this indirectly was related

to Harvest Day, but if Steven denied his request, he'd be even angrier with his best friend than he already was.

_He knew everything. _

_He knew all about it. _

He just continued to keep it all inside, like his father taught him, and went back to work.

**Forman Residence #2 **

**After supper:**

She really was an average cook, but then again so was his 1st wife. Eric wanted to make sure this Beth stayed

obedient and subservient to him. When she went to wash the dishes without being told to that was when he

took his bag from Mr. Steven's store, that was next to his newspaper, and headed upstairs with the hammer

that he found next to the unfinished birdhouse that was in the garage. It was going to give him great pleasure

when he finished his task to return, tool in hand, and destroy it in one swift swing. His new wife wondered what

the noise was, but her Mother taught her _it was her job to see to her husband __and to not ask any questions._

The pounding sounds were giving her quite a headache, but she just focused on cleaning up after dinner

until she heard the stern voice of her husband ordering her to come upstairs.

Her initial instinct was that he made her a hook for her to hang her bathrobe on. The

petite girl with mousy brown hair and brown eyes looked on in fear as Eric took off his

belt and placed the buckle through the metal hook he just installed on her bedroom door.

"If you disobey me, you get the belt."

He needed something to do in-between Harvest Days and there was nothing better than

keeping your wife in line. Now he had to go to the garage to put his hammer back and

yes, _demolish the birdhouse. _He didn't know why he didn't think about destroying it until today._  
_

It was supposed to be a gift, but that didn't matter now.

Nothing really did, except for keeping the custom of Harvest Day alive.

The only thing Beth Forman could do was nod and say "okay", the last task before nightfall was

to finish cleaning the kitchen and to turn the bath water on for her husband hoping that she

would do everything perfect.

_She didn't want to be a bad girl and get a spanking from her husband._

**Forman Residence #1**

_Kitty hated being the last one to know_. Of course, she couldn't talk out of turn.

"So, it's been decided?"

Kitty kept her warm smile intact as she stirred the sugar into her coffee.

"Yes. If we can help Steven out and _if this is what he really wants_," not to mention the financial deal

that was made, "Then it shall be. Would you be a dear and pour me another cup of

coffee?"

"Of course, Red, anything for you."

She meant it.

"And are there any of those brownies left?"

That was another award winning 4th of July winning recipe for Kitty.

"Yes and with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top!"

Kitty kissed her husband's cheek, she was glad to do it. And Red Forman was a good

man. Sure there was that thing that reared its ugly head every now and again, but

that was the local practice, _and it had to be done._ She didn't have to like it, _but_

_she was intelligent enough to realize that it had to be done._

Someone was going to be quite surprised and Kitty was silently glad that it wasn't her.

They could have a fight on their hands; Red was too trusting over such matters, Kitty

figured it was going to be up to her to make sure everything went along smoothly.

But every other woman was fair game as far as Mrs. Red Forman was concerned.

_It was NEVER going to be her. _


	15. The Five Hundred Dollar Solution

**Chapter 14**

**The Five Hundred Dollar Solution  
**

**A week after the previous chapter  
**

Lauren "Laurie" Anne was livid. How could this have happened? Her Daddy loved her more than that, without

working at Aunt Pearl's Dairy Farm as a sanctuary she was going to be here in Point Place for the Harvest Day.

But her Daddy was a man after all and they did things in certain ways and kept "their women" in the dark. She

was going to lose her exempt status. Only one qualified family member per family could be exempt and that was

brought to a Council vote in December after Christmas and before New Year's Day in January.

_You had to have a valid reason to be exempt._

She didn't need a suitcase. She wasn't proud of it, but she had stolen the money left for

the milkman. Not just from her father's envelope, but everyone's on the block. There was a change in the air in

Point Place. There was a rumor going around that the foreign boy who hung around with Bachelor Michael did it,

but without proof, the neighboring police department was not called. It seemed odd not to have a police station

in the growing town. Point Place lumped itself into Kenosha and Osh Kosh when it was convenient, for the rare

needs of fire and police services, _but they were desperate to hold onto a lifestyle,_ that not only Harvest Day, all

of it, _that did not mesh with the advancement of the other towns._

Aunt Pearl told her that the auto plant chose Point Place for exactly that reason, that the men,

were too honest, too loyal, and too hardworking.

She had the $10.00 pinned to the slip of her tan colored housedress. She couldn't go through with what they

wanted her to do.

_Laurie was special._

She was exempt from the Harvest Day tradition.

She never had a feeling good or bad about Steven Hyde, he was just like any other man in this town,

although he did know how to make buck.

He finished helping out in Goodson's St. Louis location, and Laurie knew that whole thing was a sham.

It was designed too fool Jackie, to make her think that she was free.

They didn't have "the loveliest marriage" in Point Place, _they had the façade of "the_

_loveliest marriage" in Point Place._ Sure, he purchased her pretty things (until the end, with her alleged

affair with Postman McConnell and then being chosen in the lottery) and he used to give her more in

her weekly allowance than the other husband's gave their wives, but that was done to show off

their status in the community.

Same for Jackie's Saturday walk with Donna to the grocers to sell their eggs. It was sickening

watching all of the towns women clamor over who was going to be Jackie's new best friend since Donna "fell

down", as the ladies said in their quilting circles. The Widow Macy was rumored to have baked many pies and

wasted all off her year's apples just to make 1 pie, while the others were not fit for a dog to consume. Even her

own mother, who Laurie could tell, was not fond of the city snob, Jackie, made her and Steven even "more

goodies". But banana bread and homemade preserves didn't make anything happen. There was no replacement

friend; Jackie just fancied seeing who would want the position of being her best friend. She made those walks

alone at first, but Steven put his foot down because of the brown person in town, and Laurie was recruited to

by Steven through her brother, her soulless hallow shell, of a brother, who always looked like he drank Kitty's

summer lemonade straight out of the pitcher. Those walks were torture. Jackie talking about Steven buying her

dresses and how lucky they were to have a garden AND a farm, Laurie wanted to smack her.

_They did not have a farm._

They had 2 small chickens and Steven was a greedy bastard who wanted to keep selling a portion of the eggs.

Jackie thought the way high-class way she lived her life in this simple town was what was going to save her, but

Laurie remembered the smile on her face (because the people in this town really didn't smile and if they did, the

guilt washed over them, like a good rain sweeping up the autumn leaves) during what she thought was their

last supper in Point Place before moving to St. Louis, freedom makes you do strange things. It's not like

Kenosha or Osh Kosh or Chicago or anywhere else were good places to be a woman, but it was sure better

than the stilted environment of Point Place, with their Harvest Day Ritual. Laurie hoped that there would come a

time when a woman wasn't deemed as a "man's property", in other places it wasn't officially written, but here in

Point Place it was a law on the council books. But in Osh Kosh and Kenosha and probably everywhere else, you

didn't have to walk behind your husband. Being alongside each other wasn't just for courtin' couples and

married couples in the home. It wasn't much, but at least it was a start. If Jackie thought more like her, she just

might still be alive today, telling everyone about her latest dress, but her snobbery is what killed her.

_Why didn't any of them just run?_

There wasn't a Point Place Police Department and Laurie doubted that anything would have happened to any of

the female population. Losing her exempt status meant that she was going to be on the ballot and her name

being moved off the Forman section. She was able to do some minor farm work at Aunt Pearl's because of being

Eric's sister, because Kitty offered to help. The money always seemed to come first, some more than others. She

knew deep down that the council went after the important husband's women first. Jackie, annoying, snobby,

and shrill as she was, still wound up dead for the promise of good rain and good crops.

_Jackie was dead to prove a point._

_She served no real use to the community, the money was her husband's, not hers, her life didn't matter._

Aunt Pearl was wise after all.

Osh Kosh and Kenosha stopped believing in such ritualistic practices because their cities evolved. Point Place

was stuck in its own special mix of non-progressive, backwards thinking. Aunt Pearl didn't marry her suitor,

Edward Gray.

The dairy farm belonged to the family and there was no law on the books that it would be stripped away when

Aunt Pearl's father passed on. There were two good-looking men who helped with the "men's work" She hated

it then, but she did miss those sundown talks with Aunt Pearl over spiked lemon tea and butter cookies.

If there was one thing that could be said about Point Place was that they respected the law of other districts.

Did Steven Hyde think he was so secretive making sure his children were never around for Harvest Day?

All bets were off when Red told her about what was needed.

_Jackie deserved to be dead; she was dumb…dumb as the rocks that killed her._

She hated this town, no one ever really smiled, sure, people smiled in "a how are you, nice day"

sort of way, but in pictures it was a frowned upon practice and if you caught the townsfolk

at the right moment, if you saw them thinking they not only looked sad, but as if they wanted

to be rescued.

_Pursing their lips as if they were sewn shut afraid to admit of this town's dirty little secret._

A practice that they all knew was wrong. Sure they all laughed and ran, women even allowed

in front of the men, on Harvest Day. This town had no life in it, and the life that entered the town came only from

that one day. A day that underneath it all had absolutely nothing to do with crops, rains, or harvests that was

just used an excuse to KILL someone. It didn't matter if Father McDonald blessed the whole thing.

_It was wrong._

Wasn't there something about that in the Bibles they carried to church

and read in their homes? Didn't they go to church and promise to love one another? Living with Eric

after Donna was chosen was one thing, she still had her exempt status, but now, she couldn't,

_she wouldn't be like all the others_.

The tides changed in Point Place when men became exempt, now every woman's chance that they would be

chosen were higher. She was not ready to take that risk. She wanted to do what no woman before her would.

It wasn't even close to February so the vote to pick the chosen woman was not even an issue; she wasn't

legally bound to anyone, but her parents.(and even then, neither Red or Kitty knew what was in her very own

mind and heart)

It was night and no one thought to lock their doors. Dad wasn't home; he was helping Eric with something that

needed to be fixed. Eric got more frugal since Donna died, didn't want to call a handyman, not with his new

wife and needing to keep her clothed and fed. He used to try to financially keep up with Steven, now he was

clinging to something that Laurie hoped would go away. _Someone had to stop it. Change it_. After all this was

the United States of America. Laurie didn't think she could stop the way things were always done, but she didn't

have to be here. _She didn't have to let others seal her fate._ Funny how she was a Spinster who could never be

married, yet Bachelor Michael was well loved in the town. But the moment Red could get $500.00 and both of

the chickens, because it was money after all, _it was money that was the blood of the town. _

_Even her Daddy was a man after all._

Kitty was in bed, so Laurie quietly opened up the bedroom door, holding it tight and opening it slow so it

wouldn't squeak, with the light off she couldn't take the chance of Kitty seeing the glow through the cracks of

their doorframe. She held on to the railing, grateful for the carpet on the steps. She about jumped out of her

skin when her mother put on the living room lamp.

"Just where do you think you're goin'?"

The look on her Mother's face was cold and dark, but that wasn't going to stop Laurie.

Her Dad wasn't here, it should be easy.

"I'm not doin' what you and Dad are askin' me to do."

"We aren't askin', we're tellin'."

"I don't want to argue with you, Mom. Don't worry about Dad, just say you were

sleepin' and you didn't see me leave."

Kitty walked to the door and stood in front of it more defiant than Laurie had ever seen

her.

"You stole the money that was for the milkman, no harm done blamin' the foreign kid.

But if you think you are leavin' this house, you will have to get through me first."

Laurie thought there was no sense having this quarrel, so she turned around and her

mother must have known she was going for the backdoor because Laurie wasn't prepared

for the book that was thrown at her head.

_The Housewife's Yearbook of American Homemaking_

She fell to the floor, but landed on her legs, her

mother in front of her.

"What in the Hell?"

"Don't you take that tone," Kitty got on the floor and slapped Laurie in the face with the

hardcover book, "I WILL NOT BE CHOSEN! I HAVE WORKED TOO DAMN HARD

FOR ALL THESE YEARS FOR YOU TO RUIN IT FOR ME!"

Laurie was speechless as her mother was almost on top of her. Kitty's eyes wide open,

the knowledge of things that weren't supposed to be talked about scared

everything that was holy out of her.

"You will do what was asked of you, now stand up!" Kitty forcefully dragged Laurie up.

"Do you think I like all of the rules, the games, bakin', cleanin', I HATE IT! I HATE IT

ALL! Your father made $500.00, _personally I think you are worth less than that,_ you're

damaged goods!"

Laurie smacked her mother across the face, Kitty grabbed her arm and twisted it, her

heart beating a million times per minute, her nostrils flaring, the spit flying out of her

mouth and hitting Laurie in the face and talked in important, yet scattered sentences.

"I made my banana bread for the first time when Red and I settled here and Robert Shaw

loved it. Do you remember him? He was the original owner of the pharmacy…. he was

on the council…the man who invited your father to join after he opened his barbershop,

in February…._no one chose Kitty Forman…NO ONE! _So, I joined in….I made more

banana bread…then pickles, then pie, not for sale, just to do kind gestures for people I

couldn't stand. Still can't stand! Back then the Council men's names were on the

ballot…..and yes, they chose Robert Shaw! Why for reasons bein' a female, I sure don't

as hell don't know. It was all yays and no nays….and Red tells me everythin' that he can

without feelin' guilty that the good Lord think he be a liar! I love it when your father

touches me! We enjoy our sex!"

"Mother! Let go of my arm!"

She could've done with out that last sentence of information.

Kitty did and watched her fall on the floor.

"Here's another little secret for you…_I HATE CHILDREN_! I wish they weren't

exempt! I'd kill them all if I could! Tomorrow I will make cookies to pass out to

all of the neighbors, because I AM NEVER BEING CHOSEN! I WILL DO

WHATEVER IT TAKES! If Steven wants to take you to a slaughterhouse and get $100.

for your bratty head to be cut off, YOU WILL DO IT!"

Laurie was stunned, almost frozen on the spot. She was convinced that her Mother could

go into the kitchen and stab her with her father's carving knife herself. But then what

good could she be?

Laurie wasn't going to admit defeat, but she was going to have to think of a way to get

out of Point Place before February, before the men on the council chose a woman's

name on the ballot in the name of crops and rain….the women DO die in vain, and she

was going to be damned if it was going to be her.

"NOW GO UP TO YOUR ROOM!"

"Fine. Mother, I'm sorry it turned out like this….I'm sorry that we women do not have

a choice."

Although, Laurie thought, her mother certainly had the gumption to change things, if she

wasn't so concerned about self-preservation. She was the opposite of Jackie, but the

results were the same, you would be chosen. No matter how many neighborly things you

did. Kitty was fooling herself and Laurie, for the first time, felt a real pity for her.

"GO!" Now was not the time for Pearl's fucking wisdom.

Kitty took a deep breath and grabbed the book that was on the floor. She put it back on

the shelf before examining her face in the small mirror. She fixed the loose pin in her hair

and turned the light off. Red should be coming home from Eric's soon. There was a risk

that a neighbor might have overheard, but the windows were closed. Kitty convinced Red

that the shades be drawn incase the foreign kid was peeping into the windows. She filed

this new knowledge away, it might be useful to her later.

**15 minutes later: **

Laurie stood in Kitty's doorway watching her mother get dressed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

She was not sorry for about wanting to leave that really

wasn't Kitty's decision to make. She was sorry about how living in this town affected her

Mother and probably every other woman as well. She would have to get out of here

before February, but she didn't want to hate her Mother. Everyone was a victim, even the

men. No one could see the forest for the trees.

"I'm sorry your Father gets to leave the house with just a jacket and hat on and I have to

put on all these layers of clothes…. but Steven is downstairs and well, I am not fond of

the term, _but you are his property…_I wash my hands of you."

While she didn't have her proper daytime hairstyle, she put her brush through it and

fluffed it set with her hands.

"Why is Steven downstairs now?"

"I don't know. I just have to make myself presentable when I'm only goin' to be

gettin about 2 hours sleep. You stay in your room until you are called. And for god's sake

woman, look presentable."

Kitty came down the stairs as if she was ready to start the day. _She loved Red, she loved_

_herself, she loved the Lord, but she really had no use for anyone else._

"Is Eric still here?" It was her son, who reminded her to go upstairs and get dressed

before Steven arrived, her son who knew how to take advantage of the rights he had.

"No."

"I hope he remembered the strawberry preserves I left on the counter for him."

"No time for chattin' now. Father McDonald will be arriving in ten minutes. Is Laurie

upstairs?"

"Yes. Gettin' ready. I best put the coffee on. Good thing I made 2 crumb cakes."

**2 a.m. **

Laurie rested her head on the firm pillow, twisting the suffocating plated ring on her left

hand ring finger. _She was now Mrs. Steven Hyde._ She must have been "damaged goods"

to be married in her parents living room with only them to be witnesses and at night. The

crumb cake and coffee wasn't even touched by anyone. She couldn't stomach any food

and everyone went on about the "busy day tomorrow". Why should it be different than

any other day? The only thing that surprised her was that Steven put her up in the small,

spare bedroom that smelled damp and musty. Was that a tribute to his lovely Jackie that

he wanted a marriage in name only? Father McDonald took a wedding photo for the

council records, she noticed before he took the photograph that her Mother seemed smile

in a non-smiling way, of course, it was all about self-preservation and who cared about

anyone else, especially a woman, especially if that woman was your very own daughter?

_Laurie was going to use all of her available time thinking of a way out. She was going to_

_be gone by February, come Hell or high water._

**9:00 a.m.**

Laurie was exhausted and wanted to take a nap. This wasn't an option. She saw Eric's

wife, Beth, from the kitchen window cleaning the sink, pouring cleanser out of the little

metal shaker tin. She didn't look up, not once. Laurie was surprised that the solution to

her problem came quickly and easily; she just had to move slowly with it. The first step

was to do what made every man week in the knees. She walked over to the white

refrigerator and opened the door, nothing special. _It had to be special. _She walked over to

the telephone and dialed.

"I knew you would call."

"Mornin', Mother. I have to say you were right. I have to make the best out of this

situation. There doesn't seem to be anythin' in this refrigerator to make a special dinner

for Steven."

"Of course, you know nothin' about cookin'. You never really had to." Kitty said stirring

the cake batter.

"How about you give me an idea?"

"I have some casserole portions in the freezer. I'll let you have one." Kitty responded as

if she were doing Laurie the most grand of favors.

"Thanks, Mom. It really takes an effort to help your daughter," Laurie coughed, "I think

my throat is startin' to bother me."

"I'll be over after I finish my mornin' work. Bye."

"Bye."

Laurie hung up the phone. _There was no margin of error to be had._ Imagine if Laurie and

Kitty had used their collective resources to work together. Laurie couldn't risk it, if her

mother was all about self-preservation than so was she. She wasn't going to be the next

one to die, she let a small smile escape as she dumped the last remains of her coffee down

the drain.

Let the "civil war" begin.

**Author's Note: If you haven't already, please vote in my poll for this story. Click on my profile**

**to vote. Only 1 vote per user is allowed. (Thanks for finding that out, nannygirl)**


	16. Where There's a Will

**Chapter 15**

**Where There's a Will**

**2 Weeks Later**

Laurie was glad that Steven sold those chickens to her father, she didn't have to make a

special trip to the grocers on Saturday, and she especially didn't have to parade herself

down the street to get there, but of course, that was only because he started to venture

into real estate becoming a landlord when Bachelor Michael's passed on. A council

member that would be replaced with another, they weren't going to change things, if it

didn't suit their needs; _they were going have to be pushed out_. Laurie bit her bottom lip,

Steven never did complain about her cooking, and she knew that fancy casserole would

do the trick to be in his bed. The only thing she asked for was to buy more tea, her throat

was sore and tea was more soothing than coffee. He didn't bat an eyelid. _She had all the_

_time in the world, yet she had no time_, finding the balance between the current day and

months until February was difficult. Most men and women dined with their heads down,

unless there was important conversation to be had. She knew what she had to do.

"Steven," She took a sip from her teacup, _"You'll only say no."_

"If you have somethin' to say…."

"I wasn't goin' to say anythin', but I feel odd goin' to church without my own Bible. My

parents bought it for my 10th birthday. I left it at Aunt Pearl's. I made an extra effort to

finish the mornin' chores before breakfast….."

"You don't need to go into a song and dance. I was thinkin' we take a drive out that way.

There's some property I'd like to look at. You can visit with your Aunt Pearl and collect

anything else you may have left there."

She tried not to let her eyes light up like the Christmas tree in Halverson's big display window

after Thanksgiving.

"Thank you, Steven. You have no idea on how much it means for me to have my Bible

back. I'll get started on a picnic lunch."

"No need. We can eat at Aunt Pearl's before headin' back."

It was funny how God worked in mysterious ways.

**Sunday after dinner**

Aunt Pearl thought that Laurie was a genius. An animal in the wild knows how to protect

itself and humans trapped between their spiritual and material worlds seemed to forget

about that. She washed the dishes, Beth never acknowledged her from the window. Why

should Laurie say 'hello' when they bumped carts in the grocery store? She dried her

hands with the small white towel with the green trim. Steven was in his den; he bought a

farmhouse Kenosha. _He didn't know what he was going to do with it, but it was __his._ He

wished that businesses were open on the Lord's Day, the Lord understood the importance

of being a provider.

Laurie walked quietly, but stopped in the doorway of the den, this was make or break.

She didn't want to be like her mother, accepting things as they were and the only way she

thought to fix things was to share what she cooked and baked. Didn't she know her days

were numbered?

_As long as there still was a Harvest Day, all their days were numbered._

Steven smelled her light lemon perfume and looked up from his newspaper.

"Would you like more coffee, Steven?"

"Sure. That sounds nice." She poured the coffee into his cup, being careful not to spill

any on his important paperwork.

"I better get to my sewin'."

"I need a patch sewn on my work shirt, I put it on top of your pile."

"I will work on it."

Was he trying to relate to the common workers like her brother or did he just not like

spending his money on new work shirts?

_All she was doing was biding her time anyway._

_Never underestimate the power of a good — (and smart) woman._


	17. Laurie Bags Hyde

**Chapter 16**

**Laurie Bags Hyde**

**A week after the last chapter**

Laurie made a batch of her Mother's homemade chicken soup. If this exercise was

proving anything, it was that she could cook. She didn't need Kitty or Pearl to make the

main meals, she could do it herself, she didn't want to, but it was nice to know that she could.

It was 3 p.m. when the front door opened; she came out from the kitchen.

"Steven, what's wrong?"

"This cold just won't go away…."

Laurie felt his head, there was no fever, "You get into bed. I'll call Dr. Wilson. I'm

makin' chicken noodle soup."

His face winced.

"I don't think I can keep it down, your brother is comin' over later. And

there is no need callin' the doctor. It's just a bug. I've been takin' aspirin."

And drinking Red's homemade special elixir.

"Why is Eric comin' over?"

_I dared to ask a man a real question. Get the rocks ready. _

"I left a folder for him on my desk; I don't think I'll be workin' tomorrow." And Steven

Hyde never missed a day of work or church in his life.

_It was unacceptable for a man._

"Steven, you can't take any chances. I'd feel better if you let Dr. Wilson examine you."

He didn't answer; he had to go to the bathroom. Laurie debated calling the doctor or not,

she supposed she should. She just knew that Eric couldn't be here when Dr. Wilson

arrived. She tidied up the kitchen and let the soup simmer on the stove.

_Don't bother to knock, you twerp!_

_This isn't your house!_

"Hello, Eric."

"Laurie, does Steven have a folder for me?"

"Yeah, in the den."

She wasn't even tempted to look at it before he got here, it didn't matter what was in it. _It_

_could've been the secret to the universe and it didn't matter. _Eric didn't even appear to look

in her direction; he went to get the folder, which was fine by her.

"What are you cookin'? It actually smells good." Eric asked when he returned

"Chicken noodle soup."

"You never made me any, _when I was kind enough to take you in._"

_That's what happened? Really?_

_Because I was present and that was not how it happened!_

"And Mom always seemed to send us soup."

"True. I could use a cup of coffee before I leave."

_You live next store!_

"Come in the kitchen."

Even play fighting didn't bring out any real emotion in his face.

"Sure. Do you want a piece of left over vanilla cake?"

"Who made it?"

"I did."

Eric sat down, not in Steven's chair, not in her chair, but the one facing the wall. He

probably didn't want to look at Beth.

"Oh, darn it!" Eric heard the sound of aluminum clanking and saw the coffee spilling on

to the floor.

"You sit," but he had already stayed seated, she can't say she wasn't tempted, _but steady _

_wins the race_, "I'll get the mop and bucket. Before that let me cut you some cake, we

have chocolate milk."

"That sounds better than the coffee."

"I figured it might."

**2 weeks later**

Steven only missed 3 days of work; Dr. Wilson couldn't find anything wrong with him other

than the common cold. They just got back from a weekend in St. Louis to visit his

children. His movements were slower and Eric could tell something was still wrong with

his friend. He was in his office, helping him calculate the facts and figures for the day.

_Steven trusted no one else at the plant, the way he did Eric._

"Steven, you're still sick." Eric whispered to him, he didn't want to mention another mans

frailties in front of another man so he shut the door.

"No. It's just a cold. I'll be fine."

"You have to be better for the February council meetin'." It was bad luck to think ahead,

you could jinx the good harvest, but he always knew who he was voting for ahead of

time.

"That's months away. I'll be okay." His forehead was sweaty and there were 2 Eric's in

the room instead of just one, but he chalked that up to just needing reading glasses.

"Do you want me to call Dr. Wilson?"

"You are soundin' like _the wife_, Eric. I already saw the doctor; it's just the common cold.

I'm going to take some more aspirin before headin' home. Thank you for stayin' to help

me with the books. There might just be a raise in your future."

**4 weeks later **

**Your Time is Gonna Come**

It was three in the morning on a Saturday and Laurie took her time covering up her ankle

length nightgown with her yellow robe. She put on her slippers and made no effort to fix

her hair. She ran into Eric's house and up the stairs to his bedroom, she doubted that she

would be interrupting him having sex with his equally stiff wife, the opposite of her

mother for certain. She was probably still in the guest room.

"Eric! Eric!" She went up to her brother and shook him.

"Laurie?" He rubbed his eyes_….why was she interrupting him in his house at this hour?_

"You have to come over! It's Steven! I don't know what to do! I called Dr. Wilson…but

he's askin' for you! I better get back to him, _this is so awful_…."

**Visions**

"_Help me, Steven! Help me, Steven! Why are they throwing' rocks at me? Why are you _

_letting them throw rocks at me?"_

"Ja—Jackie?" He reached his arms out to touch her, but she wasn't there.

"_Why didn't you stop it? Was money more important to you?"_

"Ja-Jackie.."

"No, it's me, Eric," His mouth gasped, "You're burnin' up…..He needs to go to the

hospital…."

_Mrs. Forman is laughing at me!_

"I'll make another phone call."

Laurie ran out of the room and Eric focused on his friend

"E-Eri….c…no-no - t-immm-e…."

He held his friends hand, Eric saw the drool come out of his mouth.

"You'll pull through….you have to…."

He might have been a backstabbing bastard to Eric, but he was still the lifeblood of this

town.

"Noo..you-n—e—ed to -fff-avor…."

"What's that?"

"'ber the swimmin' hole…and," he took a deep breath, "_Stop it….Just stop doin' _

_it…."_

"Where is Laurie with the doctor?"

_Jackie's floating image….became the devil with horns….and fractured wings._

"H-elll….Hell. We're all goin'…..unless…_.stop….it…Eric."_

Eric felt one tear go down his face; it was all right to cry over another man's passing. He

gently took the lifeless arm of his friend and put it across his chest and was going to

cover him with the sheet, but that should be the doctor's job and coroner Killeany's.

He walked down the stairs and realized that _they had both been had_ when he walked in

the kitchen from the backstairs and saw that the door was open.

_Yet, he was the 1 Nay vote…..how dare he not vote for Donna like everyone else._

_It was her turn_.

"Fuck!"

He never spoke that word until today.

There was no phone call made to Dr. Wilson.

It was up to Eric to call two people, the good doctor and Red. His body felt

so drained that he needed to sit down, for the first time since Donna's falling Eric's face

was appropriate to the occasion as anger kept rising up.

**Kitty Eavesdrops**

Eric sat in Red's den; they didn't touch the brandy (or cigars) that were for Steven. When

a wealthy man especially one that you considered a friend came into your home, you

were to give him the finest brandy and cigars available. It was a given rule, liking saying

you loved a man without using the words. Every man in the house had something

available for both Steven and R.M. II, but it was Steven that was a friend to the Forman

men. His Mother, Edna, was chosen on Harvest Day many moons ago, Steven had to

have been about 6 or 7, she had loose morals and was giving the women around her

"ideas". His father was a truck driver, who drank too much, leaving the boy alone, but

Kitty would always welcome the boy into her home for a supper, but he had to sleep in

the small room in the basement.

The church services a few hours ago were dedicated to Steven Hyde and even

though the council put a message through to the Kenosha Police Department, was that

Laurie had too much of a head start.

The council decided to put it out in the air that he died of a heart attack; the women folk

did not need to know that she slowly poisoned him to death by putting an unknown

substance in his coffee. The funeral was tomorrow.

"I never should have accepted Steven's offer."

"You had no idea, Dad….Laurie is the spawn of Satan."

Red nodded in agreement.

Eric told his father what the dying Steven requested of him.

"That's what he said to you?" Red asked, giving Eric a drink of the regular brandy.

"Yes, and it's a request that cannot be honored."

"A dyin' man's request cannot be honored when the poor man is out of his ever lovin'

mind."

"_He'd never want to stop Harvest Day otherwise. He thought I was Jackie."_

"He didn't know what he was sayin'. I can't believe my daughter poisoned a man."

Kitty had to put her hand over mouth to keep mouth shut. She had a feeling Laurie did

something even before the men folk made the circumstances of Steven's death

hush-hush, she knew something wasn't right.

"If the coppers find her, she'll go to jail in Kenosha."

"She's probably long gone. You rest assured son, Harvest Day will continue."

"I was going to vote for Laurie," he admitted

"And the girl at Donaldson's already made new ballots….."

"A shame to be doin' it over."

"I was going to tell you at the next council meeting, but I've seen you grow in ways, Eric,

that make me proud. You're steppin' up at the company even when Steven was still with

us. I'm sure you'll get a promotion. _You need to be an officer on the council_. I'll be

steppin' down soon and _I'd like to know that there's a Forman man there in the position_

_of real authority."_

"Really? Thanks, Dad," Eric finished a drink and asked for another, "Thanks, indeed."

Now there was only a month between the next council meeting and the one that took

place every February, the one where some unfortunate woman was chosen. Kitty quietly

walked up the stairs and to her bedroom. _Sure, Laurie, got rid of herself quite nicely, but_

_what of her? Especially after what she admitted to her in the heat of their quarrel?_

Taking Steven out was a stroke of brilliance.

It slightly hurt Kitty in the part of her mind where you stuck the people, places,

and things that you wanted to deny, she loved Steven, but didn't love what he had

become. But, you had to get rid of the source and Steven wasn't the disease of Point

Place, he like all the men, were just the symptom. She closed the bedroom door and sat

on the trunk at the foot of her bed, where she kept the extra blankets and special trinkets

from her youth. She heard a noise outside of her window and her body slightly flinched,

she went to look, it better not have been the foreign boy playing with firecrackers or stealing

their garbage cans and then her part of the plan started to mold.

"You still up?" Red said. Eric was sleeping on the sofa in his den, too tired and too drunk

to go home to _his woman_.

"Yes, I heard a noise outside…."

"The Smith's cat paid a visit, he met my waterin' can…."

"Red, before Steven's funeral, can we see Bachelor Michael?"

"What on Earth for?" They went to bed together, and he waited for her to be on her side,

before he turned off the light

"Steven, Michael, and Eric were childhood friends and I just wanted to give Michael and

Eric some of the cupcakes they used to like with the sparkly icin', but I can't go to

Michael's alone with the foreign kid still there and all."

Leave it to Kitty to want to wake up extra early to make cupcakes for the boys.

Red thought she was the most selfless woman alive.

"Why he took him in his beyond me…."

"I don't trust him, he's goin' do something, especially now since Steven is in Heaven,

God be restin' his soul."

"I'll take you, Kitty. We best be gettin a goodnight sleep." He hugged her, but did not

stay in the embrace like he usually did on a Sunday evening.

**Kitty's vision:**

_Midge: Remember when we used to bake apple pies for the boys? Bobby didn't mean _

_to…..if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out._

_Jackie: I was mean to everyone and I'm sorry. Steven was a good man._

_None of them meant it…please Kitty our deaths won't be in vein._

_Donna: Do it for me, please…I don't believe my husband is a bad man, he's a victim of_

_a corrupt system…..I miss him before he changed. _

_Please stop the monster growin' inside of him. Save Eric from himself._

**Author's Note: If you notice I stopped listing the locations at the top such as Hyde Residence **

**or Forman #1 Residence, because Point Place is changing and the old way of doing things will**

**be slowly disappearing. Now it's up to Kitty to finish what Laurie started. Thank you all for**

**reading and reviewing. **_  
_


	18. Dear Laurie

**Chapter 17**

**Dear Laurie**

**After Christmas, before 1948**

_Dear Laurie,_

_I'm startin' this diary for you. You must have been scared, but you didn't let me stop you. _

_If I knew we were on the same page, we could've worked together, but you passed_

_The torch onto your Mama, givin' me the confidence to finish what you started. We _

_cannot put spilled milk back into the bottle. I'm writin' this in my recipe book, the men _

_wouldn't touch this if their lives depended on it. Hopefully, you'll come back and find _

_this someday. _

_The how's were very hard, but I have the key to your father's shed in the backyard. _

_Another thing to tell the men is that you're not feelin' well and they just grunt over in_

_their beds. _

_I failed you and Eric. Especially, Eric. There's a goodness in your dad's heart. Eric _

_doesn't have that, if I don't stop this poison it's goin' to eat him alive until he's not left. _

_He puts bruises on his wife. I never believed in Harvest Day. It was superstitious _

_nonsense, but you learn to keep your mouth shut, when it could so easily be you next _

_year. You learn to play along. God is not vengeful. What this poison did to Steven too. I _

_forgive you. I forgive Steven for turning into a man who valued money above all, who _

_thought it was all in the name of God's work. _

_I am borrowin' your Dad's huntin' knit cap, my gardenin' gloves, and am wearin' a _

_housedress. _

_Tonight, my dear, for you, for Eric, for Steven, for Donna, for Midge, even for Jackie, is _

_all for you…._

**1:00 a.m. on a Tuesday**

Kitty had no time to process any of it. She was like a train that stayed on its tracks. She

didn't even remember breathing; she put all of her clothes in the clothes dryer and put on

her nightgown and robe. She put half of her body in bed and the other half out,

"Red! Red! Wake up, _something terrible is happenin'!"_ She shook him from his slumber.

It would take awhile for the fire trucks to come from Kenosha and Osh Kosh. This is what

Point Place deserved for trying to cut corners.

"Kitty, you stay here!"

He instinctively reached for his robe and slippers, as Kitty looked at the

smoke from the window. She could see the orange embers if she stood on her tiptoes.

**Town square**

Eric was on his hands and knees, the church and the Halverson mansion were on fire. The

trucks finally arrived, but the buildings were already destroyed.

_How in the Hell did this happen?_

Not the church, where he went to services as a boy and adult? Not the church where they

held their council meetings? He wasn't even appointed to a position of leadership yet,

other men from the council were weeping, some citizens thought Armageddon was

happening.

He'd never see those beautiful Christmas decorations again. The big wreath that would be

hung in Halverson's Department Store main window, the colorful bulb lights that would

be strung around the lamp posts. The Lemonade Stand for the 4th of July picnic. And

most importantly everything relating to Harvest Day and the citizens of Point Place were

burning up in the church!

_How could this have happened?_

"GET UP, ERIC!" Red grabbed him by the arm. It looked embarrasing for a man on the council to be

seen in that state.

"Our town! What's happenin' to our town?"

_"Don't wallow be a leader! Make me and Steven proud…!"_

It was easy controlling his wife, but the other men were intimidating to the younger

Forman.

"What about the older men? Where's the Mayor?"

Steven Hyde's replacement Mayor Miller.

Red couldn't speak of the Mayor, _but he could speak about the other men, who underneath it_

_all were all gutless, that was their shameful secret and there was no reason not to exploit it._

"They're as stunned as you are…..there's an openin' to a new direction! Take it… "

Kitty went on her porch. All of the other wives were also on their porches. Some with their

faces slathered in cold cream and curlers, wrapped in robes and ankle length nightgowns,

even the younger women who wore skirts calve length. They didn't move. The sounds of

the sirens were sweet soul music. She wouldn't mind if the whole town burned up. There

was no way a Harvest Day would be happening this year. Some of the women had their

arms crossed, rubbing their arms together. She heard the closest neighbors talk about

putting the tea and coffee on. She would put the coffee on, but she wasn't going to bake

anything, not tonight. She had to fix her _special dress_ for the day after tomorrow. Now

was not the time to worry about the men were going to do, they were going to have to

rebuild, and that would take months. _GLORIOUS MONTHS_ Maybe an emergency

council meeting in Mayor Miller's living room to establish a fire department? Made no

sense to rely on Kenosha and Osh Kosh. Some women complained about the smell, but

Kitty loved it, it was the scent of a job well done. Eric must be a wreck. Too bad.

_She did it partly to save his soul._

Whatever happened to her gentle son who had a bunny for a pet when he was 5?

Hopefully, she stopped the poison, or at least contained it, She would know more when

the fires stopped burning and the men came home.

**Thursday**

_Laurie, I think we can all finally start to breathe. The women don't talk to each other _

_about such things, but that doesn't mean one loses their instincts. The fire spread to _

_Goodson's and part of the plant was destroyed, the St. Louis location was makin' more money _

_so R.M. II was goin' to announce that plant was shuttin' down, because the auto plant be _

_needin' more workers. But all that's on hold because all of the men are workin' _

_construction on a new church. I sometimes feel guilty about destroyin' a house of the _

_Lord, but that wasn't a house of worship, not really. When we were cleanin' your things _

_from Steven's house, I couldn't find your white Bible anywhere. It looks like you did _

_take it wherever you are. I'm glad. Too many people twist the words to suit their own _

_interests. The boys are comin' home for lunch, and I have to work on the next step. There _

_is no talk about Harvest Day, but then I'm just a woman and not privy to their _

_information…now comes the final piece. Sure wish you were here. _

It was difficult relaying a message to the foreign boy, but Kitty did it through Michael

when she did her weekly grocery shopping.

Fez, that was his name, was not allowed to help the men rebuild, to Kitty's surprise

Bachelor Michael wasn't selling souvenirs, but offering a helping hand. If she didn't have

time on Tuesday, she certainly didn't have it now. She left the back door open and broke a milk

bottle, the contents dripping off the counter and onto the floor. She left the ingredients for

sandwich making open and exposed as if that's what she was doing. She walked to the

living room to answer the polite knocks.

"Hello, Mrs. Forman, Michael tells me you wanted me to wash your windows."

He brought his own equipment and remembered to enunciate.

"Hello, Fez, you can put that nasty stuff by the door. She waited for the door to close.

"Can you put the shades down dear?"

"It's the afternoon…."

"I know, but the sunlight gives me a headache."

She knew Old Lady Kelly would be looking out of her big picture window during the commercial break

of her radio serial.

"Okay, Mrs. Forman."

She tousled her hair with her hands, letting a few pins fall to the floor, the rest sticking

out of her hair.

_This alone would have been enough to have him tarred and feathered._

She walked up to the young and man, and even though disgusted at having to kiss a

brown person, she had no choice, but to do it, she guided his hands to the loose buttons of

her shirtdress.

"Mrs. For-"

"Go get the brandy in Red's den, the one with the leaf on the bottle…plus the box of

cigars bring them in…._.I've always wanted you…"_

He didn't want her, _but he better do what the nice white woman said_. She watched him

run for the items and put them on the table, all he had to do was open the box of cigars

and take the cap off the brandy.

"Can't wait…"

She wondered why he seemed so lacking in experience; she guided him to the loose

buttons that popped like the once a year champagne cork being open on New Year's Eve,

and she almost couldn't contain her being when the slip inside her dress ripped. She

could hear them in the kitchen; she balled her hands in defiant fists.

_"HELP ME! HELP ME!"_

"You b-itch…" Was the last thought Fez had, before Eric wrestled him to the

ground and started beating him to a pulp, "What are you doin' touchin' my Mother?"

_Only husbands had that right._

"Kitty! Oh Kitty," Red held her, what did that foreign kid do to her?

She whispered in his ear, "he tried to _rape _me…"

It was difficult for Red not to join in and defend his wife's honor, but Eric and Michael

were doing a fine job, _plus she needed him to be with her._

It broke Fez' heart when Michael breezed through Red and joined Eric in beating him up.

_Not his friend Michael._

Sure, he used racial slurs, but they were always said in fun.

"Michael, you keep this bastard pinned….I'll call the police."

"Red…don't worry about me….the closet….there are keys by the coat closet…._the_

_foreigner set the town on fire, that's what he said, when he tried makin' unwarranted_

_advances towards me…."_

Red kissed Kitty on the forehead and wrapped a blanket around her.

Inside the small coat closet were the 2 oil cans, the ones from his shed that went missing

that had dark hair on them.

"_Michael, tell them I didn't …"_

"Shut up!" He punched his back.

This was the first time Eric and Red ever saw Michael so violent.

Eric came back more confident than the did earlier in the week when the town was

burning. 

_He always loved being on the giving end of a good beating._

"They'll hold him in Kenosha…..we're goin' a need to start constructin' our own police

and fire departments…._let this be a lesson to us_….Michael, we could use your

services….are you in?"

_He was sorry, but not so sorry that he had to save himself._

"I am in."

_Fez felt betrayed by the person that he loved the most._

The Welcome to Point Place sign had two dates on it, Founded by Arthur C. Halverson,

1846 and Rebuilt, 1950

**Kitty continued her diary to Laurie**

_I really miss you. _

_First the good news, when it was postponed the first year I thought it was just a fluke to test _

_me and the rest of the women, but when 3 years went by I knew Harvest Day was a thing of the past. The town_

_ is different than what you might remember, we added to our hospital so it's not just Dr. Wilson's office, an x-ray _

_room, the maternity ward, and a morgue. It's startin' to be a real hospital. The bank was damaged in the fire so_

_ it was rebuilt. The school is no longer two small buildin's, there's an elementary school and a high school _

_near the bus/train station. Dad retired from the barbershop and sold it to Bachelor Michael. There is a _

_courthouse, a jail, a fire and police station. Your Dad fell in love with this invention called the T.V. that's short for _

_television. Gone are the days when I have to bake for everyone. I just bake for my family and the occasional _

_friend. The sense of repression, while not gone all the way, is lessened. I can't say I like the look, but on casual _

_days some women are wearing pants…pants!…Women should be ladylike and wear a dress. Fez is in jail, and I _

_don't feel guilty, I felt scared with him walkin' around, glad he's locked up. The coppers charged him attempted _

_rape and arson. There's this invention called the electric chair and you put criminals in it and shock them to _

_death…better the criminals….we're waitin' for our prison to get one. The bad news is Eric. Not his job, he's a _

_supervisor at the auto plant and an officer in the local council; he also belongs to a men's club. I don't even _

_want to know what they discuss. They probably long for the good, old days. He's not gentle like he used to be. _

_He's not repressed, it comes out in this silent anger. His wife Beth left in him in the middle of the night (now with_

_ police around, no woman is foolish enough to even try), when all of the rebuildin' was takin' place, even Pam _

_doesn't know where her daughter is. I feel that without Harvest Day and a general accepted place to release _

_his anger, he's a ticking time bomb waitin' to go off. What has Point Place done to my son? My only regret is not _

_thinkin' of endin' this sooner._

Eric decided to take a walk; _a man didn't need a cleanin' lady if he had a wife. _The services he hired were

overpriced and you had to air out your house for days. He couldn't wait for the prison to get the electric

chair; Mayor Miller gave him free reign to flip the switch on the man that destroyed everything he believed in and

the attempted rape of his mother. Now he had to go to the hardware store to buy a lock because you couldn't

leave your house unattended, well he just did. He almost dared anyone to take anything that wasn't theirs,

they'd be sorry. It was bright and sunny and the Town Center was too crowded, gone was the small public

cornfield, the feds came in and gave every family $150. They built a diner by the auto plant; it was named

Smiley's. Mostly all of the men went home to their wives for lunch or brought their own lunch made by those

same wives in metal lunch boxes.

_Eric hated it all. _

There was a sizeable rock by the tree and he picked it up in his hand, it was smooth to the touch.

_It was a good rock._

_Why did things have to change?_

The stores were getting more produce so most folks stopped having their vegetable gardens even the Mayor

didn't have chickens and Dad got rid of the ones from Steven years ago. He could feel the electrical energy

coming off this rock. _He had an itch in him,_ there was no way to resurrect Harvest Day, there was nothing to

harvest, when all he wanted to do was the Ritual part of it anyway. He found himself on the steps of the Widow

Crawford. _Yes, yes, this could do quite nicely._ He put the rock back in his pocket. He and the rest of the gang

went to school with the giggly-passive Emily. She married that creep Lance Crawford who used to make eyes at

Donna. He rang the doorbell, couldn't just walk in, it wouldn't be neighborly.

She was shocked to see Eric standing there, but giggled. "Hello, Eric."

"You goin' to invite me in?"

It seemed more of a command than a rhetorical question.

"Sure. How are you doin' Eric?"

She invited him to sit on the sofa; she didn't think he'd accept that offer.

"Workin' hard," He thought Red should have given him the barbershop, "But enough

about me, tell me about you….I see you around, but we never had a chance to talk until

now….." He put his arm around her as if it were a first date at the cinema.

"I always thought you were cute."

He leaned in and kissed her hard, he loved how she tried to fight him off.

"No…"

_"Shut up,"_ his voice was cold, a product of the environment or born that way? He

should've thought of this ages ago, Eric ignored Emily pleas for him to stop before he

took his pants off he took the rock out of his pocket and placed it on the coffee table

and that was all Emily needed to see, she just lay there and let him continue.

It was the first time he had sex since the last time he was with Donna years ago in that

fateful January before she fell. He never had relations with Beth.

_How dare she leave him in the middle of the night.  
_

_The town needed Harvest Day to keep the women folk in line. What was wrong_

_with some people? Progress? This wasn't progress. _When it was over she quietly put her

dress back on and went in the kitchen, Eric fixed his pants and redid his belt.

He put the rock on the mantle of the fireplace.

"I like this house better,"

Emily kept her hands on the sink, Eric's hands felt like spiders. Lance abused her and she

was glad when his name was chosen on Harvest Day, _there were times when Harvest Day_

_did away with some of the human weeds and she was glad for it. _He wrapped his arms

tighly around her waist, he already had unwanted sex with her what more did he need?

_"I'm not goin' to hurt you, Emily, why would you think that? As long as you obey me everythin'_

_will be fine', darlin'."_

He made himself comfortable at the kitchen table throwing the needlepoint that she

worked on this afternoon carelessly on the floor.

"Why don't you get your future husband a cup of coffee?"

_This could be the new start that he needed and to resurrect the tradition that he held most_

_dear._


	19. Patterns

**Chapter 18**

**Patterns**

**1950**

**2 days before the 4****th**** of July Picnic***

Kitty couldn't believe Eric was married again. To the Widow Crawford. She, like the former and still missing Beth

Macy, were too shy and submissive. Kitty tried to mind her businesses with Beth, the town still had its ugly

secret then and any move, especially to her son on the council could've lead to her head on the chopping block.

She knew the "secret code words" during the Sunday dinner table after church services of "I fell", "I'm clumsy",

and "I bumped into the shelf" meant that her son, Eric, beat her up. Since there was no more Harvest Day, and

something the secret men's club was probably trying to put back on the books, but the fact that time was

marching on was preventing that from happening.

They were civilized people.

"Women walkin' side-by-side when they're not courtin' is too suggestive for our town."

Eric stated during the Sunday dinner of roasted chicken.

Kitty held her tongue when Red nodded in agreement. 

_He was old fashioned, but at least he didn't go about beating his wife._

"Don't get me started on the trouser wearin'." Kitty thought that women should look their

most ladylike, but she didn't like Eric having that opinion, shouldn't it be a woman's personal

choice?

"What happened to your arm?" Kitty asked Emily, she could see the bruise mark on her

right arm.

"I fell, Mrs. Forman," Emily took a drink of tea, "I'm just clumsy is all."

"Why don't you come into the kitchen with me so I can take a look at it? Then I'll bring

out the crumb cake."

Eric looked at his mother with sinister eyes.

_What was she tryin' to pull?_

_Who in the Hell did she think she was?_

_And why didn't Red call her on it?  
_

The phone rang and Red stood up, "I'll get that. It's Michael. I cannot believe he still has

trouble working a barber chair. I've never once had the mechanism get stuck. He gets in there and

can't work a darn thing. What is so hard about pumping it?" When Red went into the den

to answer his phone. Eric walked to the kitchen almost tempted to bring the steak knife

with him.

"This looks fresh," Kitty said as she gently urged Emily to take her sweater off and was

going to put some healing ointment on it.

"The phone rang and I bumped square into the iron…."

Emily saw Eric standing in the doorway.

"I'd like to use the bathroom, Mrs. Forman."

"Go ahead, dear."

"You think you are going to interfere with my marriage Mother and not be told about

it?"

Eric kept walking towards his Mother. 

_His eyes, when did they get so evil looking?_

Red being in the den and not that far away gave Eric a thrilling sensation. Kitty didn't

want Red to hurt him so she just kept walking until her back was against the wall by the

stove.

"Are you goin' to hit me, son? I raised you better than that."

It used to be contained to the Harvest Day ritual. It never spread into the homes like this.

"I'm not going to hit you. I am however, goin' to keep an eye on you. You keep stickin'

your nose in where it doesn't belong and you'll deserve what you're goin' to get. There's

ways to get you to shut up."

Eric tried to loosen his demeanor when his father walked in.

"That Michael Kelso is such a kettlehead! He tried givin' haircuts to dogs! I need to go down

there. He should've stuck to his sellin' of odds and ends. Save me a piece of crumb cake,

darlin'. Bye son. I'll be home before _Gene Autry_."

"Bye, Dad." Eric said focusing his shift back to his Mother giving her _the look_ and going

upstairs to check on his wife.

Eric didn't knock he just used his God given right to walk in the bathroom to find Emily

sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

"I would like you to lay down in my old room."

"Eric, your Mother meant no-"

He slapped her hard across the face, "Do as I say or I'll give you the iron again."

"Sorry, Eric. I didn't mean to be disrespectful."

She caressed his cheek with her hand, _there was no warmth._

Eric made sure Emily laid down on his bed, before flexing his arms and cracking his

knuckles.

_This was the perfect time to teach his nosy Mother a lesson._

He sure loved it when their backs were turned. He walked slowly and carefully, she was

only doing dishes when he put his arms around her neck, like he did with Steven's bitch

that wonderful day a few years ago.

"Maybe, you will take this seriously, Mother. Do you think I am jokin'? Do you think I

cannot kill you and make it look like an accident? Do you think I cannot bring Harvest

Day back? Stop impedin' in my relationship with Emily, it is none of your

business…."

"Le-t g-go, E-eric,"

"Am I hurtin' you, Mother?"

"y—yes."

Her son was becoming unhinged.

She wanted to remember her beautiful boy that would play catch with his father in their backyard,

the boy who had the pet bunny, and the gleam that would be in his eyes when the homemade cookies

came out of the oven.

"Good," he let go, getting pleasure out of watching her regain her breathing, "I hope I

made my point clear. I'll be in Dad's den havin' a drink."

**Upstairs**

She couldn't believe it as she laid on the bed.

Kitty needed to keep busy before Red came home and she didn't want to be in the same room

as her son. Kitty almost had a heart attack when she saw the figure on the bed that she

dropped the linens on the floor.

The woman stood up. She took off her hat and black wig.

"Laurie?"

She whispered, Eric couldn't know she was here.

"Yes, Mother it is me." She and Kitty shared an embrace.

Laurie saw it all as the Forman's only locked the front door.

_Eric was going to kill her. Her stupid entitled brother was going to kill their Mother._

"I'm sorry." Laurie admitted

"Don't be sorry, _it's all over_…I have somethin' for you. You can hide in here. I'll

wait until your brother leaves…"

_It wasn't all over, but it soon would be._

***Author's Note: And the final character death. **


	20. The End of the Line

**Chapter 19**

**The End of the Line  
**

**1950**

**4****th**** of July Picnic**

Red hated having to lock up his house before he left with Kitty for the 4th of July picnic in the Town Square. The

neighbors couldn't believe the changes in their perfect little town. Eric sold his house and took up ownership of

the Crawford house. It was bigger and better than his former house. He also hated the fact that the Potters

were permanent residents of the Hyde house. 

_It should have been a museum_.

Eric took the locks off his door when he decided to ditch the secret men's club and institute a new

political party called the Traditionalists. The rules might have changed but a few of the statements

in the Traditionalists self-typed brochure was that Harvest Day would be making a comeback,

this was the bread and butter of the town, women _had to_ walk behind their husbands,

(it wasn't until the mainstream advanced that most of the men folk including those on

the once-revered council realized how stupid it was, when only 4 couples did it), the proposal to buy some land

behind the cemetery for a small corn crop for the Traditionalists only. The men at the auto plant were losing

respect for Eric he seemed so unhinged to them.

The 4th of July Picnic would be a nice time to get some recruits. On his

lunch hour Eric passed out pamphlets to the teenage boys at the high school.

_The Traditionalists motto was: To Keep Things The Old-Fashioned Way._

Red wasn't happy with his sons direction, Eric figured it to be the elder Forman growing older

and not caring. Of course, when it was his son in power he hated it, but

when Steven Hyde was alive, Red agreed with everything he said.

_They were starting to smile in photographs!_

_Photographs were for the public record only. (point #4 in the Traditionalist brochure)_

They sat in Red's den, Eric ordered Emily to wait for him in the living room sofa. The Traditionalists were all going

to meet up here and walk to the picnic, with their wives behind them.

The way it always was before Steven's passing and the destruction of the town.

Red closed his small metal box and shook his head at his son; he wasn't going to debate

with him, his businessman ethic was gone, he was retired and wanted to spend his happy golden

years with Kitty and the Television.

"You didn't take it, did you?" Red asked in a semi-firm tone.

"No. I didn't even know that you lost it."

**Upstairs**

"I don't want you going to the picnic, Laurie." Kitty whispered. She was surprised that

they were able to keep this secret from Red, that their daughter was back, but it wasn't so

much Red, it was Eric. He couldn't know that Laurie was back in Point Place.

"Why not? You didn't recognize me when I came back."

The wig was long and curly and made her look like a Hollywood Starlet plus Laurie

purchased some second-hand dresses that were rather Jackie inspired, frilly, feminine,

and most important out of Laurie's character.

_The women were starting to wear trousers!_

Good for them. Of course, it was the younger generation, and only for activities like

tending their floral gardens. Their mothers, like Kitty still believed that a woman should

be ladylike at all times and don't forget to wear your perfect little white gloves when you

leave the house.

"Just stay here, okay?" Kitty said.

"Is there somethin' that you're not tellin' me, Mother?"

Why would today be any different? The picnics were boring at least there would be no talk

about Harvest Day except from her idiot brother and his new Traditionalist group.

Kitty did the only thing she could do, she hugged her daughter. _"I love you, Laurie. I love_

_Eric, as well. I know what I'm doin'. I know what needs to be done."_

"What are you plannin'?"

"Nothin' that you need to worry about. Now…ssh, I hear your father comin' up the

stairs. Bye….." Kitty left the room leaving Laurie to sit on the bed with her thoughts.

_Fuck this._

She was going to the 4th of July Picnic, but first she had to wait for not only her

folks to leave, but Eric and his Traditionalist Group. Those poor women. Harvest Day

wouldn't be making a comeback, she was certain about that. But these guys could get by

with abusing their wives under the guise of a political group and no one would bat an eye,

because they were just women.

**Later**

Emily spoke softly as Eric kept looking out the living room window getting more angry that

his group of fellow Tradtionalists didn't show up.

"Maybe, they aren't comin'?"

Eric spun on his heels, "Did I say that you could speak?" The men were cowards, total

cowards! What were they promised by the mainstream that they couldn't get in his

Traditionalist group?

"I'm not waitin' any longer….today Harvest Day makes a comeback! And you will

get more than the iron tonight for talkin' out of turn…" He'd have hit her at that

moment, but something pressing needed to be done.

After all Red told him to take a chance, well he was going to take a chance all right.

Laurie heard everything from the top of the stairs; _he was going to do something_. He

probably lied to Red earlier, her eyes got wider as she waited for Eric and Emily to leave,

before letting a breath escape. _"He's going to kill Mom!"_ – She ran down the stairs and

and decided to go out the backdoor.

Her brother finally reached the pinnacle of his snapping point.

**The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions**

Some of the decorations that got destroyed by the fire were placed by better more modern

decorations by the local high school youth.

Red bought Kitty a 10c lemonade, the whole town seemed to be upset that Kitty didn't

bake her award winning apple pie. She just didn't feel like it and now that she knew

nothing could happen to her from the majority, she refused to bake or cook anything for

the festivities. Maybe, next year. But then, if…..she stood up when she saw her son,

walking in confident strides with his wife behind him. That was just the way he liked it,

the way he always assumed it would be. What happened to his merry gang of

Traditionalists? Eric was a superior at work, the men probably just pretended to agree

with him.

"Red," Michael whirred by, he was wet from the knees down, "I had an accident with the

pickle barrel."

"Honestly, were you dropped on your head at birth?"

Red mumbled something to Kitty about helping Michael, which was fine by her. He

didn't need to see what had to be done.

She could feel her skirt swaying in the gentle breeze. It's just a picnic,

the annual 4th of July picnic. With no more Harvest Day as the precursor, the town

seemed to be on the cusp of a real change. They were making progress, but there was something

in the air that needed to be cleared.

Some of the younger housewives took to wearing rolled up blue jeans instead of a dress,

they had no little white gloves on their dainty hands.

Eric seemed to stop in the middle of the street.

"ATTENTION! CITIZENS OF POINT PLACE! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION

PLEASE!"

Kitty watched as Emily stayed about 3ft behind her husband with her head down. She

kept walking closer to her son.

Laurie stood by the apple pie booth, the cliquety-clique older housewives were quite

miffed, that they didn't have Kitty's award winning apple pie this year.

"I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REAL MEN OF POINT PLACE?

A BUNCH OF YOU SIGNED UP TO BE TRADITIONALISTS AND NOW YOU

HIDE AMONGT THE PROGRESSIVES WHO DESTROYED OUR TOWN,

DESTROYED OUR HERITAGE!"

Kitty put her purse around her wrist and undid the clasp.

She chose not to shout back as she walked even closer to her son.

"Eric, please stop."

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO! AGAIN! MEN, ARE

YOU GOING TO LET YOUR WOMEN TALK DOWN TO YOU LIKE THAT? THAT

IS PROGRESSION?" Eric's eye caught the horses that were brought in from Kenosha

for the little kids to pet and for 5c feed an apple to. "LET ME PROVE A POINT," He

turned around and picked up his wife, "IS THIS ILLEGAL NOW? IF I WANT TO

THROW HER INTO THE HORSES WATER? THEN SO BE IT. ARE OUR FANCY

NEW COPPERS GOIN' TO ARREST ME?"

Kitty was shocked when he did throw Emily into the horses trough, but the citizens were

too afraid to react.

"I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT HARVEST DAY MAKE A COMEBACK

AT THE 4TH OF JULY PICNIC…COME ON, MEN. PICK UP A STONE," Eric

reached down, "I'LL START," and he threw a stone at his Mother's arm.

"Eric, stop…"

"YOU'RE ALL COWARDS! WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROMISIN'

ALL YOU GENTLEMEN? JUST A FEW YEARS AGO YOU WOULD HAVE

DELIGHTED IN THIS VERY PROSPECT!"

He bent down and picked up another rock, "WHERE'S MY DAD? I THINK AFTER

ALL THESE YEARS HE'D LOVE TO BE THE ONE TO CAST THE FATAL

THROW."

Kitty had tears coming down her face the size of quarters. Whatever Red was doing in the

Barbershop with Bachelor Michael she was glad that he wasn't hearing the lunatic

rantings of his son.

Laurie knew she had to do something, but when she saw her mother's hand slowly dip

into her purse she stopped short of coming to her aid.

He picked up a third stone.

"I'LL DO IT! YOU ARE A WORTHLESS WOM-" Eric staggered in front of his mother as the

crowd gasped, _it was a show after all, how the towns folk all missed a show,_ he saw the

blood, "BIT-"

Kitty pulled the trigger again as Eric fell headfirst on the ground.

Everyone ooed and awed over the spectacle except for the local cops. Red got to his wife

just in time to see her cradling her dead son in her arms and sobbing remorseful tears.

"I took the poison out of our son…..I took the poison out of our son…"

She kissed him on the forehead as a policeman came to take her away. The officer let her

gently put his body in a restful position as the ambulance sirens could be heard in the

distance.

"Mrs. Kitty Forman, you are under arrest."

Red was in shock as Laurie whispered in his ear, "I'm back, Daddy….."

She did it.

Kitty was the one who stole his handgun.

"Red, I'm sorry….I love you,"

He held back his own tears as he asked the officer if he could kiss his wife before she was

taken to jail.

Red caressed Kitty's cheek, he didn't know what happened, but he was certain that Laurie

would explain it all to him. "I love you too….."

The police ordered everyone to go home, this was now a crime scene and when they got the okay, they could

come back and take care of the belongings. A few housewives left some picnic plates for the officers. The crowd

was all a chatter over the events of the 4th of July Picnic as they ran to their cars, women alongside of men,

drives home in silence, the gossip over Kitty Forman killing her son, a supervisor at the auto plant and member

of the council. Some said that Eric was a good man, some responded that he wasn't. Real debates were had in

DeSotos and Packards. _Some said they had money in the fund to erect a statue in Steven Hyde's memory. He_

_was a good man. _The women weren't going quietly into the gentle night as the idle chatter turned into the

promises of some moving out of Point Place and others knowing the way the town did things was truly over.

When Red closed the door, Laurie took off her wig and hat. She didn't have to worry about being arrested for

anything. It was self-defense after all, and after the events of the night, the town of Point Place was prepared

to focus on its future not its past.

_Unfortunately, her Mother paid the ultimate price for taking the devil out of Eric's soul._

"Daddy, I'm sorry." She gave him a hug; she was surprised he drove them home in one

piece. Laurie didn't like telling him the events that lead up to him seeing his dead son on the picnic

grounds and his wife in handcuffs being arrested for his murder.

"Will you stay here and take care of your old man?"

He said it with such a pain in his voice and an emptiness in his heart, that it wasn't coming from the dark ages

attitude that her brother espoused that lead to his death.

Red was genuine and just as much a victim as anyone else involved in this whole thing, he wouldn't deny

her the right to work or go out on a date that was if a man wanted to go out with a spinster.

Laurie couldn't say that she was sorry about it.

_Eric got exactly what he deserved._

His death was a symbol of everyman, her father included, which thought

Harvest Day was "a harmless tradition", the guilt might eat some of them alive, but she would stay on and help

her father, so he wouldn't have to live in an empty house.

"Of course, Daddy," Laurie couldn't have it any other way, "Would you like me to put a pot of coffee on for you?"

He could sit in his comfortable chair and watch some television before heading upstairs for the night where he

would do his crying for what he lost in his empty bed.

"Sure. That sounds nice."

**Author's Note: I'm not fond with how this second to last chapter came out, but I hope you guys**

**liked it. Thanks to everyone who have read and reviewed. I appreciate it. **

**1 more chapter to go. **


	21. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Was My Father a Bad Man?**

**By S.E. Hyde-Jenkins**

**1974 article published in the _St. Louis Dispatch_**

I hate it when people refer to my late father, Steven Hyde, as a bad man. There is an old saying about walking a

mile in one's shoes. It is no secret now about the beginnings of the town of Point Place, Wisconsin. I heard

there might even be a movie made about it. But before Tinsletown degrades an already tragic story to fit a

2-hour time block, I felt I needed to write an article, about my Dad. My father was not a bad man. He was what

they would call "Solid" or "Salt-of-the-Earth", but a bad man? I think that is akin to paint a canvas with a too

broad of a brush. When people like to point out in an black and white, elementary way, I'd also like to point out,

we're (me and my brother) are here. We were sheltered to not even know about Harvest Day. We were always

sent to my mother Jackie's cousin Carla's house, who had the unfortunate moniker of 'Spinster' because she

dare be over the proper marrying age and didn't have children of her own. Point Place had a strange dichotomy.

Women could vote in the federal elections as soon as the Federal Government allowed it in 1920, but never in

the local. Women could drive their husbands cars, but not permitted to have their own. Only courting couples

could walk arm-in-arm to let the rest of the men know that this woman was to be _his. _After marriage, a woman

walked behind her husband. Except on Harvest Day, the true horror, the dark blemish on the town. I have

talked until I was blue in the face, trying to get people to frame the Harvest Ritual within the context of the

times. Point Place was caught between two identities, especially during my father's time, the modern

conveniences of cars, indoor plumbing, and buying food at the grocery store and its former self as an abundant

farm community. The towns folk did the best they could, there was a small area corn field where each section

belonged to a family, people kept small vegetable gardens, the Mayor (which at one time was my Father) and

usually a prominent citizen (which was also my Dad) were allowed to have 2 chickens, so they could make

money selling the eggs. It all seems so archaic now, but to them it was a fact of life. When Arthur C. Halverson

(who is now just known for the department store) founded the town in 1846, imagine a town with no

telephones, a small mercantile, more farmland, and towns folk with a healthy dose of superstition, is what lead

to the first Harvest Day. Since the records were destroyed in the Fire of 1947, nothing is known except from

some of the older citizens who are mostly all died off, they talked to the press, maybe for cash, and maybe

because they know they could get the decades of guilt off their collective chests, to ease their collective blame in

a hope to go to Heaven for clearing their conscience. It's one thing for an early civilization to cling to ritualistic

forms of play, it's quite another for a town in the 20th century to keep a stoning ritual going. It started to go

downhill when they took the men off the ballot, they weren't expendable anymore. I'm not going to deny my

Father's or any of the other men misogynist tendencies, but I don't believe that all of them hated women. It was

just something they did, under the guise and a family picnic afterwards, for a good harvest, good crops, and

healthy rain. I am grateful for Laurie and her mother, Kitty Forman for removing the cancer out of Point Place.

They had to play dirty.

They had to be shifty, _they had no choice._

It was out of their own survival instincts that they saved many

women and made Harvest Day a distant memory. So, I can forgive Laurie for poisoning my Father. Women were

considered property of the husband, or their fathers if they were the dreaded spinster. She knew if she stayed

in Point Place, her name would be on the ballot, and her father, Red, who passed away last year after I

interviewed him from his sick bed in the hospital, that poisoned my Dad to keep her exempt status. He still

loved her, even taking her in after his wife killed her son at the 4th of July picnic in 1950.

No one seemed to care that Laurie was back in town. She killed my father in an act of self-preservation. I can't

hate her no matter how much I tried to in the past. It is such a wasted emotion.

I remember the last time I saw my Father. He didn't seem so well. Laurie would stop the poison for a day or two

to let him feel better because he didn't have any "stomach trouble". She suggested that he see us, and he

was too tired to run and play with me and my brother, but he gave us the biggest hugs, told us that he loved

us, and gave Carla an envelope with the details about our inheritance. He knew he was dying and I know he

kept his promise to my mother to take care of us. It was up to Kitty to pick up the invisible torch, to make things

right. Before Kitty's passing she told Red when he was last able to visit her in the jail, that she framed the only

brown person in town; Red told me that his name was Fez, because they couldn't (or

wouldn't) learn how to pronounce his real name. He was the first execution via means of electric chair.

Some people are surprised (because again they fail to look at the historical context) that I don't hate Eric

Forman, my Father's best friend, brother of Laurie, son of Red and Kitty.

It is on the record that Eric was becoming more unraveled as each year morphed into the next. He abused his

wives (with the exception of his 1st spouse) when he didn't have Harvest Day as an annual outlet for his anger.

He seems to be the only one in the public knowledge who came out of this story as the bad, evil person. I

believe he suffered from some undiagnosed mental illness. Things that are still taboo to talk about even in the

open '70s.

He set the lie in motion of starting a rumor that my Mother had an affair with the local mailman. He did this by

stealing her hair clips before they temporarily moved to St. Louis, because R.M. II trusted my father to handle

Goodson's Textile plant new St. Louis operations. Eric planted them in Postman McConnell's yard and put it in

the air that my Mother had an affair.

Before my Mother died she was able to have one last visit with us and she gave Carla letters for

my brother and me. We didn't know about them until we were older. I know she didn't have an affair. You

certainly couldn't tell by their wedding photos, as smiling in photographs, was something that was frowned

upon.

Photographs were basically treated as contributions to the record, not something you did for enjoyment, even in

photos that commemorated happy times such as a wedding. And sometimes weddings were not considered

happy events; some had marriages based solely on economics. I know my Father loved my Mother. Eric planned

it for my Mother to be chosen as the 1947 Harvest Day lottery winner. Red Forman told me that the votes were

20 Yea, 0 Nay, meaning my Father voted that way as well. He was hurt because he thought my Mother cheated

on him.

I don't know why he didn't just take her at her word, but those were the times. That's why I don't hate Eric;

he's just as much a victim as everyone else. The further that the '40s are from the present day, it makes it that

much easier to forget. While I don't hate anyone involved, I will never forget. I miss and love my parents every

day that I'm allowed to breathe.

Writing helps me to cope and that is why I wanted to share this story.

For the kids today, I wanted to share with them what Point Place is like today. It's a wonderful little suburb

of Wisconsin. There are some women who stay at home and that's okay, just like it's okay to be the ones who

work everyday in their careers. Many of the buildings from my parent's time are gone. Loudon's Grocery

Store was torn down for a Piggly Wiggly, Goodson's was destroyed in the 1947 fire, gone is Red's barbershop,

my mother's first love Michael owned it after Red retired, but he sold it after a few years, then it was a boarded

up, dilapidated building until it was made into a little soda/snack shop called The Hub, which is where the local

youth like to hang out, the old church was replaced by a few others of different faiths.

The auto plant here is chugging along, but there are rumors that the plant will be shutting down in a few years

if they can't compete with the more efficient Japanese cars.

The jail that was built after the fire was eventually destroyed and rebuilt elsewhere in the city.

The cemetery is still 1.2 miles from the old church. You can tell who was chosen for the Harvest Day

lottery by looking for the simple hash mark etching on the back of each tombstone.

Each year Point Place got more modernized, people moved, some passed on, and the springtime ritual of

Harvest Day was forgotten.

That was when Point Place joined the rest of the world and became a real city.

The towns people were in a foggy denial of what used to take place every spring. It might have even made

some slowly go insane.

I just want people to read this article and learn how to forgive. I will never hate my Father, I know he's in

Heaven with my Mother and someday my brother and me will join them for eternity as well.

Then we can be the family I always wished we could have been.

This article is dedicated to

Steven James Hyde & Jackie Beulah Burkhart-Hyde

They did the best that they could in times that were not easy by today's definitions and I will always love them

for putting their children's welfare above their own.

**BIO**

Mrs. Sally Elizabeth Hyde-Jenkins (1943-), is a freelance writer who lives in St. Louis with her husband,

Nick, who also has a maternal family history in Point Place. (His aunt was killed in the 1931 lottery)

They have 1 daughter, Jacqueline Dottie Hyde-Jenkins.

Mrs. Hyde-Jenkins is also a member of the St. Louis National Organization for Women (NOW) chapter whose

book, _The_ _Town of Point Place: The Jackie & Steven Hyde Story _will be published in the Spring of 1975.

**END**

**Author's Note: Thanks to nannygirl and Marla's Lost for being my most consistent readers and faithful **

**reviewers of this story. If you'd like to join our '70s fan fiction forum click on reviews the link is provided in **

**the reviews for Chapter 1. Thank you.  
**


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